PAKISTAN OBSERVER
7th October 1956
NEED FOR INDUSTRIAL
DEVELOPMENT STRESSED
By A Staff Reporter
At a conference of Industrialits and business magnates fram all over the province, the Industries Minister, Sheik Mujibur Rahman, yesterday emphasized the need for industrial development in the province.
“The betterment of standards of living of the common man is obviously the first and primary task of any responsible government,” he said. This could only be achieved through co-ordinated and planned economic development of which industrialisation would necessarily form one of the most significant aspects. The Conference was attended among others by Mr. G. M. Adamjee; Mr. Sadri Ispahani; Mr. D. N. Bose, President of East Pakistan Cotton Mill-owners Association; Mr. Carse, President, Chittagong Chamber of Commerce; Mr. Bhimani of Peoples’ Jute Mills and high officials, including Mr. W. B. Quadri, Secretary, Industries. Mr. Mujibur Rahman said that industrialisation could not be possible without investments, both internal as well as foreign. Capital formation within the province was important for the purpose of furthering any programme of industrial development. The scope and facilities of industrial development in the province were very considerable and there was ample opportunity for private industrialists to move into the field, he said. Private capital operating under a planned and balanced programme of industrialisation would constitute the base of the province’s industrial economy, the Minister said. By private capital he also meant foreign investments, he said, and added that the fruitful participation of such investments in the industrialisation programme of the province would be welcome, particularly because of the limited Foreign Exchange resources, essential for industrial expansion. Holding out an assurance to all investors about the security of their capital, the industries Minister said, “We do not contemplate, in the foreseeable future, nationalisation of our industries, although, of course, nationalisation is a right inherent in all independent States.
There need be no fear, whatsoever, on this account in the minds of industrialists or other investors.” He complained that the flow of capital had so far not been comensurate with the needs of development. In this connection he also referred to the economic imbalance in the development of the two wings of Pakistan and said that while in some fields saturation point had been reached in the West, “we in East Pakistan have not yet even entered the threshold of industrialisation.” Mr. Rahman told the industrialists present at the Conference that everyone, without distinction, who had already invested or who might invest in the future would have the fullest co-operation, support and assistance from the Provincial government “in all matters and at all times.’
BOTTLENECKS
Referring to the bottlenecks created by the present over-centralised mechanics of issue of licences for capital goods and industrial raw material, the Industries Minister said that a method would soon be evolved to overcome these. He hoped that would provide an incentive to the investors for putting up new or extending existing industries. Emphasising the importance of the ordinary workers in the factories, Mr. Rahman said that industrialisation was a means to improve the standard of living of the common men. He appealed to the employers to see that their workers are kept happy and contented.” He also stressed the need for maintenance of harmonious relationship between the workers and the employers. It was a mutual responsibility and genuine trade unions could be a help rather than a hinrance in the maintainance of this relationship. He however, said that “agitators and others subversive elements” were not trade unionists but disruptors and he would not tolerate them. In course of the deliberation of the conference, the Industries Minister said that the Provincial Government would soon draw up a comprehensive plan for the development of cottage industries in East Pakistan for which a commission might be set up. He said that cottage industries must be developed rapidly so as to provide adequate employment facilities to the bulk of the population. Laying particular stress on handloom industries, he said the common man’s lot was vitally connected with the growth and development of cottage industries.
“SHOCKING DISPARITY”
The industrialists, who agreed with the Industries Minister about the scope of industrial development in the province, demanded the early announcement by Government of a uniform industrial policy. They disapproved of the “shocking disparity” in the industrial development of the two wings. They also placed their grievances about the inadequate issue of import licences for raw materials, spare parts etc for industries in the province.
The Minister remarked that the Provincial Commerce and Industries Department had so far been “working as a mere Post Office.” He said that the Provincial Government should be immediately given powers in matters of commerce, trade and industries as provided in the Constitution so that the pace of progress in these fields might be accelerated. He added that in issuance of import licences, allocation of shipping space and fixing of priority etc., the opinion of the Provincial Government should previal. Sheikh Mujibur Rahman said that government proposed the holding of another conference of representatives of industries and trades in the second or third week of October which was expected to be attended by the Prime Minister, Mr. H. S. Suhrawardy the Chief Minister, Mr. Ataur Rahman Khan and the Central Finance and Industries Ministers. The representatives present in the conference welcomed the idea of holding such regular and periodical conference and thanked the Industries Minister for his initiative in the matter.