PESHAWAR: The Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industry has welcomed the government’s announcement of a new industrial policy for revival of the country’s declining manufacturing sector.

However, it cautioned that without immediate, inclusive, and practical measures, the manufacturing sector—already gasping for survival—may face irreversible collapse.

Fazal Moqeem Khan, president Abdul Jalil Jan, senior vice president and Shehryar Khan, vice president and members of the SCCI’s executive committee in a joint statement issued on Tuesday said that the announcement signaled recognition of the crisis, as the business community, particularly industrialists, were in a hopeless situation.

The businessmen went on to say that the skyrocketing energy costs, an unpredictable policy environment, insecurity, and a crippling taxation regime have rendered operations unsustainable for many manufacturers, especially small and medium enterprises,

“Our factories are shutting down, our machines are falling silent, and our workers are being laid off. If this continues, we won’t just lose industrial output—we’ll lose hope,” the SCCI office-bearers said.

President Fazal Moqeem Khan expressed serious concern over the consistent decline in the industrial sector’s share in the GDP—from 26pc in 1996 to just 18pc in 2025—calling it not just a number but a reflection of the lost jobs, shuttered businesses, and fading confidence in the country’s economic future.

The SCCI chief, while appreciating the proposed steps such as fiscal incentives, legal reforms, and industrial rehabilitation, stressed that without direct and meaningful engagement with all the stakeholders, including regional chambers, these efforts like in the past might not materialise.

“The policies designed in Islamabad must reflect the ground realities of Faisalabad, Karachi, Peshawar, and Quetta,” Moqeem added.

“Decisions made without us, will not serve us.”

The SCCI president emphasised that the true revival of industry required bold political will, structural reforms, and an enabling environment where an enterprise was rewarded, not punished.

Fazal Moqeem urged the government to prioritise transparency, predictability, and regional inclusivity in the implementation of this policy.

Reiterating its commitment, the SCCI president pledged all-out cooperation viz-a-viz any sincere efforts aimed at pulling the country’s industrial sector back from the brink, warning that the time is running out.

“We are not asking for favours; we are demanding our right to survive, contribute, and grow. The economy cannot thrive if its industries are in free fall.”

Published in Dawn, July 9th, 2025