Established in 1972 Punjab Small Industries Corporation has always been the leading promoter, supporter and facilitator for entrepreneurs as are willing to invest in small sector industries or are interested in hand crafted products of artisans of Punjab. The many services offered by PSIC are all focused to open up windows of opportunities to both new and existing investors. Recent and current services and activities of PSIC that may be helpful to identify investment opportunities for both resident and non-resident Pakistanis are:
Census & Survey of Small Sector Industries
In 2004-05 PSIC carried out a comprehensive door-to-door census and survey of small, cottage and household industries all over Punjab. Reports for rural and urban areas of all districts are now available. Besides enumerating the existing industries, the reports provide valuable information on economic indicators like infrastructure, climate & crops, local raw materials, available labour & skills, existing production, local markets, etc., etc. For prospective investors economically viable industries are also identified.
One Dollar Shop Programme
Manufacturers and exporters of low cost consumer products can benefit from this programmed. PSIC hold open seminars and workshops for providing first hand information on quality, quantity and costs of products that can be exported to One Dollar Shops in USA. These seminars are held in important towns of Punjab. Other agencies like EPB, SMEDA and Chambers of Commerce & Industries are also invited to explain export procedures and marketing advice.
Business / Industrial Incubators
This new initiative of PSIC aims to help budding industrialists who neither have enough experience nor complete expertise required for establishing a small size industry/business. These incubators will provide them, at a nominal cost, complete facility of a modern office along with professional business advice. As a practical example of private-public partnership these centres will be managed by respective Chambers/Associations. The first two incubators at Faisalabad and Gujranwala will soon be operational.
Support Centres for Industrial Clusters
In collaboration with UNIDO and SMEDA, PSIC carried out a diagnostic study of industrial clusters in 7 cities of Punjab. Based on these studies PSIC is now setting up support centers for different industrial clusters. These centers will provide technical consultancy, designing services and common facilities on state-of-the-art machinery. Two such centers for auto-part industry in Lahore and Wooden furniture industry in Chiniot are already partially functional, others like Centers for Bakelite industry at Sargodha, Sports goods industry at Sialkot, are at different stages of completion. In true spirit of private-public partnership all these centers will be managed and operated by fully autonomous Boards with majority of members from the private sector.
All Industrial Esmstates
For small scale industrialists PSIC has established over 20 industrial estates spread all over Punjab. These estates provide the necessary infrastructure for setting up of new industrial units. The facilities in the estates are systematically up-graded. A special quota of developed plots is reserved for Pakistanis living abroad.
Project Loans
PSIC offers loans up to 3 million rupees at very attractive terms for setting up of small industrial units anywhere in Punjab. About 8000 entrepreneurs have so far availed this facility since its inception in 1980s.
Handicraft sops
PSIC by far leads in development of handicrafts and extends unparallel support to artisans. Through a central Design Centre in Lahore, a network of 8 Crafts Development centres and 10 Handicrafts shops PSIC offers complete package of services to cottage/household handicraft industry that include designing, advice on quality control, micro financing and direct (domestic) marketing. PSIC is ideally suited to act as a link between makers and exporters of handicrafts. Its design and micro credit facilities can help bridge the quality- quantity gap
