Industry dept asked to get desired result of growth strategy

LAHORE:Secretary ICI&SD Department Sohail Ashraf during a series of meetings held with the heads of attached organisations of the ICI&SD Department has directed them to pace up their activities for achieving desired outcomes of the Punjab Growth Strategy.

He said that industrialisation and harnessing domestic and foreign direct investment in Punjab are the lynchpin of our endeavours. He stated that the industries department is striving hard to synchronise all functions entrusted to it for making Punjab prosperous and a major contributor to the national economy.

In the same vein, efforts are underway to accelerate establishment and colonisation of the Industrial Estates and Special Economic Zones (SEZs) across Punjab. It is anticipated that our ongoing engagements with the potential investors will help mobilise FDI in Punjab, especially in the SEZs, he added.

Sohail highlighted that the youth bulge, majority of which belongs to Punjab, has to be educated and trained on contemporary knowledge areas, which are not only demand driven (both domestically and internationally), but also hinge upon entrepreneurialism.

To this end, the role of our traditional technology institutions and specialised technology universities is of paramount importance. Accordingly, rigorous efforts are underway to enable these institutions to impart the desired knowledge and skills to the youth, he said.

While talking about the prices of essential commodities, he highlighted that as the regulator of essential commodities’ prices, ICI&SD Department has put in place a robust monitoring and enforcement mechanism to address market irregularities.