LAHORE
Ferozepur Road Industrial Association (FRIA) Chairman Shahbaz Aslam has said the federal budget 2025–26 ignored the specific needs of organized industrial zones, warning that the disconnect between ground-level realities and high-level fiscal planning is widening.
In a statement, Shahbaz Aslam said that while the government has been presenting a positive outlook, the budget has failed to deliver practical support to industrial clusters like Ferozepur Road, which play a critical role in employment generation and urban economic activity.
“Budgetary allocations and policies continue to be generic and overlook the unique infrastructure, utility, and service challenges faced by established industrial zones,” he said. “We don’t just need tax adjustments—we need a location-specific industrial policy.”
He regretted that despite repeated commitments, the budget offered no roadmap for revamping ageing industrial infrastructure, upgrading roads and drainage systems in zones like Ferozepur Road, or resolving utility bottlenecks that frequently halt production cycles.
Shahbaz Aslam added that the federal and provincial governments must work together to identify key zones across urban centers and introduce a coordinated development mechanism tied to budget implementation. “The issue is not only funding, but the complete absence of integrated planning that takes industry location and needs into account,” he remarked.
He also highlighted that the budget missed an opportunity to incentivize industrial automation, export diversification, and import substitution within localized clusters—elements vital for sustained growth under a high inflation and high-interest environment.
Criticizing the lack of consultation with mid-tier manufacturing hubs, he said that policies are often shaped by top-tier exporters or large conglomerates, leaving out the medium-sized industrial players that form the backbone of city-based production zones.
Calling for mid-year corrective measures, Shahbaz Aslam urged the government to establish a permanent liaison structure between industrial estate representatives and fiscal policymakers. “You can’t grow exports, improve tax collection, or generate jobs if your policies don’t start at the factory floor,” he concluded.
