Pakistan eyes fan exports to Gulf, Africa in push to boost economy

Store workers wait for customers behind a row of fans for sale to combat the heat at an electrical appliances store in Bangkok on March 29, 2024. (AFP/ File)

• Muhammad Aurangzeb calls for enhanced productivity to compete in global markets
• Pakistan’s exports rose 8 percent to $24.7 billion in the current fiscal year through March

KARACHI: Pakistan’s Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb on Friday hinted at the export of locally produced electric fans with new and improved technology to Gulf and African countries, saying it could potentially boost the country’s export economy.
Pakistan’s fan industry is primarily concentrated in the Punjab cities of Gujranwala and Gujrat, both of which play a key role in domestic production through numerous small and medium enterprises. The country’s leading brands in the sector are all based in these two urban centers, supplying products nationwide.
The finance minister’s statement comes as Pakistan looks to diversify its export base and reduce reliance on traditional sectors like textiles. With energy-efficient appliances such as fans in growing demand globally, particularly in warmer regions like the Gulf and Africa, the government is exploring ways to modernize local manufacturing and align with international standards to reinvigorate industrial output and foreign exchange earnings.
“We are looking forward for these products to not only be used in Pakistan but also have a very good market share in the exports market going forward,” Aurangzeb said while speaking on the sidelines of the “Made in Gujranwala Exhibition” at a local hotel in Islamabad.
“Our efforts now should be to take it to the exports level if we have this much productivity and it is internationally competitiveness as well,” he continued, adding it was important to figure out “how we have to take this initiative ahead to move old fans and the new technology forward.”
According to the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics, Pakistan’s exports rose by 11 percent to $30.7 billion in the last fiscal year ending June 2024. As of March this year, the country has exported $24.7 billion worth of goods, marking an eight percent increase compared to the same period a year earlier.
Aurangzeb said African and Gulf markets were ideal for the export of Pakistani products.
“We have to move toward an export-led growth,” he noted, assuring businesses of the full support of the finance ministry. “Every single sector in this country has to export.”
The government is working to revive Pakistan’s economy with the help of the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The IMF’s executive board is expected to approve a $1 billion tranche for Pakistan under its new loan program in the coming weeks.