Govt to allocate $200,000 for PCMA research, chemical plant

LAHORE: The Ministry of Science and Technology has agreed to allocate $200,000 to help Pakistan Chemical Manufacturers Association (PCMA) conduct research and complete business plan on Naphtha Cracker and Chlorine Chain.

In a meeting with PCMA Chairman Abrar Ahmad on Tuesday, Federal Minister for Science and Technology Fawad Chaudhry assured of supporting R&D requirement of the projects proposed by the PCMA for indigenous production of chemical products currently being imported at a huge cost.

Chaudhry agreed to fund PCMA research reports and also help complete business plan on Naphtha Cracker and Chlorine Chain by allocating $100,000 for each.

A delegation of the PCMA met with the federal minister to apprise him of the industry’s situation. Zafar Mehmood, Abdul Hai Khatri, and Imran Qureshi accompanied the PCMA chairman in this delegation. Fawad Chaudhry said the government would support manufacturing of essential chemicals within the country under Make in Pakistan Program.

PCMA chairman Ahmad said that availability of a Naphtha Cracker Complex would enable import substitution and export promotion of the chemicals in Pakistan. “But, despite absence of this basic requirement so far, the sector is contributing $747 million in exports.”

He hoped that the share would be increased manifold after establishment of the Naphtha Cracker Complex.

“PCMA has developed a plan for import substitution of $5 billion by 2025 by producing 14 chemical products, which were currently being imported from Saudi Arabia, China, UAE, Kuwait and Thailand,” Ahmad said, adding that about 28 projects have also been proposed for R&D.

Federal minister Fawad Chaudhry had agreed to constitute a committee in PCSIR in collaboration with PCMA to help R&D and product development of chemical sector, the PCMA chairman informed.