HYDERABAD – A senior member of the Executive Committee of the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI), Adeel Siddiqui, deplored the deteriorating state of industrial infrastructure in Sindh, especially in the Hyderabad and Kotri industrial estates.
In a statement released on Saturday, Mr Siddiqui noted that, despite the accumulation of over Rs1.5 trillion in infrastructure cess from imports during the past five years, the condition of industrial zones remains deplorable.
Mr Siddiqui, also a member of the ruling Businessmen Panel (Progressive) Supreme Council of the FPCCI, explained that industrialists face federal challenges such as high energy tariffs, volatile interest rates, and a complex tax regime, while the Sindh government has failed to deliver even basic civic amenities in industrial zones.
He observed that road networks in the Hyderabad and Kotri SITE areas have severely deteriorated, even though thousands of trucks and containers traverse them daily.
FPCCI slams provincial govt over crumbling Hyderabad and Kotri industrial estates
Industrial units are suffering substantial losses due to transportation delays, vehicle damage, and safety hazards. In the 21st century, navigating potholes and broken roads resembles a war zone, he remarked.
Mr Siddiqui noted that the Sindh government had imposed a 1.85 % infrastructure cess on imports, generating over Rs1.5 trillion over the past five years, and called for public disclosure of how these funds have been utilized.
Long‑standing infrastructure deficiencies have remained a major concern for industries operating in the Sindh Industrial Trading Estate (SITE) in Hyderabad, where factories continue production despite insufficient water supply, damaged roads, inadequate drainage, and the absence of functional treatment plants.
Established in 1952 on 1,264 acres, Hyderabad SITE hosts approximately 665 industrial units, of which about 450 are currently operational, according to SITE officials.
The majority are food‑related enterprises that produce edible oil, pulses, and rice, supporting the agriculture‑based economy of lower Sindh.
“Water supply, drainage, and treatment plants are the primary challenges facing this 74‑year‑old industrial area,” a SITE official said.
He noted that development work on internal roads and drainage has resumed after more than a decade, but added that even the completion of the ongoing projects would not fully meet the area’s infrastructure needs. He cited Rs1.10 billion worth of projects currently underway for road and drainage improvements.
Questioning the utilization of infrastructure cess revenues, Mr Siddiqui said the levy was introduced specifically for the development and maintenance of industrial infrastructure.
“Where has this money gone over the years? Why are Hyderabad and Kotri industrial estates still deprived of much‑needed development?” he asked, adding that the Sindh government owes an explanation to taxpayers and industrialists.
He also expressed concern over water shortages in some of Sindh’s largest industrial zones, noting that many industries are either forced to curtail operations or purchase water from private tankers at high cost, making production less competitive.
Mr Siddiqui appealed to PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto and Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah to establish a provincial investment facilitation body modeled after the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC).
He said such an institution should be vested with administrative and financial authority to address provincial‑level issues, including roads, water supply, sewerage, electricity, and law‑and‑order in industrial areas. Without these measures, he warned, industrialisation in Sindh would continue to decline.
He also urged the PPP chairman and the chief minister to visit the Hyderabad and Kotri industrial estates to witness the deteriorating infrastructure firsthand.
