GIZ to start 2 projects in Pakistan

LAHORE: Germany has proposed to start two new projects in Pakistan for promoting the textile industry and enhancing employment through women empowerment.

It was disclosed by a three-member delegation of the German Development Organization “GIZ (Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit) on Monday at a meeting with Farhan Aziz Khawaja, CEO of the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Authority (SMEDA).

The delegation comprised of GIZ Advisors Nana Sikaba, Anke Green and Muhammad Ubaid, Component Manager of GIZ Projects. From SMEDA, Nadia Jehangir Seth, General Manager Policy Panning and Ashfaq Ahmad, General Manager Central Support Division also attended the meeting. Ubaid told that a three-year project started in the year 2021 to develop labour and environmental standards in Pakistan’s textile industry would be completed by the end of the current year.

The project successfully aims at improving the competitiveness of the Pakistani textile and fashion industry in the world market by improving and enhancing labour and environmental standards, he said. On successful completion of the aforementioned project, the government of Germany had decided to initiate two new projects; one for raising standards of labour environment in the textile industry and the other for promoting employment through women empowerment.

These proposed projects might start in January next year and would be completed by the year 2026, he added. Earlier, SMEDA CEO welcomed the GIZ delegation and apprised them about the government of Pakistan’s initiatives for women empowerment.