Daily Times

Experts have opined that industry would have to reemerge with new parameters and practices based on the knowledge economy than the previous human resource centric practices. Pakistan needs to develop a comprehensive framework for the new industrial look incorporating new technologies. Poverty struck and resource deficient Pakistan needs to develop more IT driven startups to engage youth for productivity.

They mentioned that preemptive measures would be crucial to avoid Covid-19 spread in the clusters. The UN organizations all together are engaged with the federal government and the Planning Commission of Pakistan to develop and finalize the Standard Operating Procedures (SPOs) for different types of industries including Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs).

The webinar on the “Industrial Outlook in the New Normal-Risks and Challenges for Pakistan” was organized by the Development Communications Network (Devcon-Pakistan) and DTNTV on Tuesday. The speakers included the UNIDO National Programme Coordinator Masroor Ahmed Khan, Faculty Head of HR and Business at the PIDE University Prof. Dr Nadeem Ahmed Khan, Focal Person of the Pakistan Ship-breakers Association from Gaddani (Balochistan) Jawed Ahmed, ILO supported Pakistan Workers Federation Assistant Secretary General Shaukat Ali Anjum, and Anwar ul Haq, a young small-scale industrialist from Attock. Webinar was hosted and conducted by the Devcom-Pakistan and DTNTV Director Munir Ahmed.

Talking about the post-covid19 impact on the industry, Masroor Ahmed Khan said unemployment and poverty would go high in the first phase where national GDP and exports would also suffer severely. Food processing and packaging, consumer goods, provision of logistic services, e-commerce, health technology, and promotion of digital world and tourism would have immense opportunities for all tech savvy people.

Dr Nadeem Ahmed Khan said, “Human reliance on machines and robots will be enhanced in the New Normal. Since there would be least human interference preferred it would result in lesser number of Jobs. Systems will be automated, and will be made functional with lesser human interference. World is already of the view that Robotic medicine may be the weapon the world needs to combat the coronavirus.”