The Competition Commission of Pakistan’s report of January 2013, on automobile industry, has been termed as arbitrary, unfair and distressful for the automotive sector. This was stated in an official response to CCP by Abdul Waheed, Director General, Pakistan Automotive Manufacturers Association (PAMA).
While preparing the report CCP did not realize the figures it incorporated in the report that it would unduly damage the industry which contributes $3.6 billion to the GDP and churns out $0.82 billion in the revenues with an investment of $1.09 billion and direct employment to 215,000 persons.
DG PAMA said the “Auto industry leads the large scale manufacturing of the country, hugely contributing to the country’s GDP and the revenues while bringing in long term local and foreign investments generating widespread employment opportunities and opening up avenues for the country to have high technology and attain modern systems of the outside industrial world.”
Abdul Waheed said that the Association was never in the picture while the report in question was being prepared and has expressed his dismay over the CCP’s report’s subjective findings and recommendations which, in his views, are highly damaging for investment and business environment of the country. In a letter to CCP chairperson, he said the report in question was flawed as it is not based on the competition issues arising out intra local automobile players.
Instead, it drifts to draw parallel between local industry with the illegal business of trader mafia of used cars whose primary source of activity emanate from illegal purchase of documents from an overseas Pakistani.