Karachi: The Union of Small and Medium Enterprises (UNISAME) has called on the Pakistan Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (PCSIR) to take decisive action in spearheading import substitution, innovation, and modernization within the country. The move is seen as critical to bolstering the small and medium enterprise (SME) sector amid mounting domestic and international challenges.

Zulfikar Thaver, President of UNISAME, emphasized the urgency for PCSIR to become actively involved. “The SME sector expects PCSIR to accept the challenge, roll up its sleeves, and become proactive,” Thaver stated. He highlighted the need for PCSIR to lead in the development of import substitution industries, particularly in sectors such as chemicals, engineering, and electronics.

The Union highlighted the importance of these industries in various segments, with a focus on chemicals relevant to textiles, agriculture, pharmaceuticals, and foodstuffs. In engineering and electronics, the need extends to factories, farming, energy, safety, security, and crime control.

SME experts are eager for PCSIR to address the importation list, which includes auto parts, machine parts, insecticides, pesticides, and fumigation chemicals. The pharmaceutical industry, too, presents a significant opportunity as numerous manufacturers face closures due to rising costs of imported raw materials.

UNISAME suggested strategies such as reverse engineering, artificial intelligence, collaborations, and joint ventures to drive these initiatives. The aim is to make the industrial sector self-sufficient and progressive.

The UNISAME team has also extended support to PCSIR and other stakeholders, including the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Authority (SMEDA), the Engineering Development Board (EDB), the Board of Investment (BoI), trade associations, and chambers of commerce, to advance this agenda.