LAHORE: Punjab Assembly Speaker Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi said on Sunday that during the last 10 years, there has been no improvement in the small industry, due to increase in problems of pottery, sports, surgical and other small industries. Exports have been badly hit, production dropped and unemployment increased. He said this while addressing Pakistan Electric Fan Manufacturers Association (PEFMA) oath-taking ceremony in Gujrat. On the occasion, former provincial minister Mian Imran Masood accompanied him. Newly-elected office-bearers included PEFMA Chairman Ghiasuddin Paul, PEFMA Senior Vice Chairman Waqas Anwar, PEFMA Vice Chairmen Raheel Zafar, Azhar Aslam, Bilal Ishaq Awan, Muhammad Farooq, Dawood Jahangir Rathore, Riaz Butt and Kaukab Shahzad while those present in the function were Sheikh Khawar Rafique, Haji Muhammad Ilyas and Mian Muhammad Ejaz of GFC Fans, Gujrat Chamber of Commerce & Industry President Amir Nauman, Foreign Direct Investment Chairman Malik Izhar Ahmad Awan, Mian Salimullah of Pak Fans, Chaudhry Rashid of Tarrunum Fan and other leaders among others. Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi said that be it fan industry or any other, they play an important role in the national economy. These contribute to increased exports and also create employment opportunities. “During my chief minister-ship, we had established an industrial estate in Lahore, including one of the biggest industrial estates of Pakistan in Faisalabad as well as upgraded small industrial estates and promoted small industries. We were creating a million employment opportunities annually in which the private sector had a major share. Massive development was taking place including construction of roads. National Logistics Cell was made partner due to shortage of contractors and it also rehabilitated schools,” he said. He said that we had paid great attention to every sector as a result of which the country moved forward. During the last 10 years, there was a lot of uproar but nothing happened in the industrial sector. “Our Vision 2020 included long term, mid-tem and short term projects concerning the small industry. We were making Sialkot-Gujrat-Lahore Motorway and establishing technical universities with the assistance of Germany and Sweden, but these universities were shifted to India after our tenure ended. During a meeting with Higher Education Commission former chairman Dr Attaur Rahman, this project also came up and I asked him to establish a technical university in Gujrat also so that local industry is further developed and there is value addition in it,” Pervaiz Elahi said, adding that “we have started work on a university. About 18,000 students are acquiring education in our established Gujrat University”. He said that such projects require time but “we do such works with good intentions which also benefit future generations in the longer run. Insha Allah, the Wazirabad Cardiology Hospital will also start soon”. He said that God Willing, problems of the fan industry will be solved and a meeting of a delegation will be arranged with the federal industries minister so that problems of industries of Gujrat, Gujranwala, Sialkot and Wazirabad are resolved. Published in Daily Times, October 1st 2018.