LAHORE: Australian High Commissioner-designate Margaret Adamson said that Australia is keen to encourage Pakistan's economic growth and partnerships with the industry leaders.
He expressed these views after unveiling the new Intra-Systek shoe-last manufacturing facility at a ceremony attended by Pakistan's footwear industry on Thursday. Joined by Intra-Systek CEO Abid Hafeez and Pakistan’s largest footwear exporter, Servis Footwear CEO Omer Saeed, the inauguration marked a key milestone in the partnership between Intra-Systek and the Market Development Facility (MDF). The Australian government is investing Australian $9.9 million in MDF.
Ms Adamson said that it would usher in a new level of competitiveness for the Pakistan shoe industry by manufacturing plastic shoe-lasts—the foundation of any shoe—traditionally imported from India, China or Italy. "Australia is keen to encourage Pakistan’s economic growth and partnerships with industry leaders such as Intra-Systek, which are essential to this aim," she said.