Sibi district has over a hundred milling and processing units, with total reported employment of less than five thousand. Trading and service sectors have expanded considerably during the last decade and a half, and further expansion, especially in the informal sector, is in evidence. Official data on the subject, however, does not fully portray the factual position. The available statistics are given in Table 5.6.1.

A walk or drive through bazaars and streets of Sibi town alone would reveal that the number of establishments and their employees given in Table 5.6.1 are far less than the actual number. There are several important omissions too. There are many transport operators, restaurants, stalls, peddlers, footpath vendors, workshops, serais (inns) etc in the town, in villages and along highways, etc., but these are not reflected in the official statistics. Hence from all the available information, the number of establishments, registered and informal, will be more than twice the number shown in table 5.6.1.

The Small Industries Development Board runs a wood work training centre. Only 20 persons are trained per year. It is a well-managed centre, and students, all male, acquire good skills here, which is put to productive use by them. However, this one training facility only is considered inadequate for the district.

The Small Business Finance Corporation has an office in Sibi. The scale and impact, if any, of its activities could not be ascertained.

Female participation in industrial activity is not reported in official statistics. The local inhabitants (all males) interviewed by the researcher did not speak of any participation of women in this respect. There are, however, several direct and indirect indicators which suggest that women do take part in industrial activity. Their participation in brick kilns is quite visible. Other examples are embroidery, tailoring (at home), wool spinning, mat making, etc.

The manufacturing and milling units that exist in the district are local demand oriented. These include brick kilns, flour mills, automobile repair workshops, gold smiths, carpentry and pottery. Local production of manufactured goods is not enough to meet local demand. The district, therefore, depends heavily on other areas for most of its supplies of manufactured goods.

No direct import or export of goods from or to other countries is done. Imported goods found in the Sibi shops are secured from Quetta and other cities. None of the district's products enters the country's foreign trade.

The district does not attract many tourists, except during the annual Sibi week when tourists and traders come to Sibi town in a large number to see the festival, and to buy and sell animals of good breeds. There are only a few places of interest for tourists and they can be visited in a day or two. Transit tourists are occasionally seen in Sibi town, but their number is small. The district, however, has potential for tourism.

No report worthy handicrafts are made in this district. Rugs from goats' hair, are made, but not on a commercial scale. Similarly sacks for carrying water are made out of hides and skins, but again on a limited scale and all for domestic use. Embroidery is carried out at domestic level by women. Sales, if any, are very limited.

Institutions exist in the district to support and facilitate small enterprise development, but they have not been able to make any visible impact in this respect, so far. The Directorate of Small Industries has a wood work training centre in Sibi town. The district could do with more training centres on other skills and crafts.

Legend: - no involvement

x minor involvement

xx substantial involvement

xxx major involvement

The processing and manufacturing units that exist in the area, are local demand oriented. The district possesses neither a good raw material nor manpower base, that could attract industrial investment on a large scale. From these observations regarding prospects of large industrial units, it is, however, not to be concluded that the industry and trade sector does not have any development potentials. On the contrary, the rapid growth of small industrial services and processing units like workshops, flour mills, brick kilns, pottery, etc, and of petty trading in informal sector is indicative of great development potential of the district in these spheres. The process of development at the level of micro enterprises, industrial as well as commercial, can be facilitated and accelerated by providing appropriate facilities such as training, credit, investment, advisory services, etc. Vocational training need be provided to men as well as women on a sufficient scale. Women entrepreneurs need to be encouraged by providing credit facilities, e.g. for buying sewing machines, embroidery and carpet frames, etc.

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