Focus on industrialisation to create more jobs, says minister

LAHORE:A delegation of Sialkot Chamber of Commerce and Industries led by its President Qaiser Iqbal Baryar called on Provincial Industries Minister Mian Aslam Iqbal at industries department to discuss colonisation of Sialkot Export Processing Zone.

Secretary Industries Wasif Khurshid, Chairman Export Processing Zone Authority Rizwan Ahmed Bhatti, CEO PIEDMC Javed Ilyas and Punjab Small Industries Corporation officials were also present.

Qaiser Baryar demanded that Sialkot Export Processing Zone should be brought under the administrative control of EPZA or PSIC. The minister directed that a stakeholders committee be constituted to recommend the feasible solution within seven days. This committee should devise a practical model for Sialkot Export Processing Zone, he said. The minister asserted the government is following the policy of accelerating the industrialisation process to create more job opportunities. He regretted that a few industrial units have been established in Sialkot Export Processing Zone since 2002 and reiterated that past practice of real estate business will not be tolerated in industrial estates, he added.

dairy industry: Livestock census and compilation of reliable data on livestock production are crucial for sectoral reforms; these views were expressed by Minister for Livestock Sardar Hasnain Bahadur Dareshk while presiding over an international webinar on dairy innovations and emerging trends. According to the details, Pakistan Dairy Association arranged a webinar to discuss latest trends in dairy processing with the aim of promoting innovations in the dairy industry like developed countries. Global experts from Netherland, Turkey, Italy and Sweden shared their views on latest innovations and techniques in dairy industry. The international dairy experts gave a briefing on Value Addition, Dairy Packaging and Modern Dairy Production.

Dareshk applauded the role of dairy experts for introducing new trends in food processing and said that the dairy processing industry of developed countries is a beacon for Pakistan. Prof Barbaros and Ms Gulnur Ulug from Turkey, Prof Lorenzo from Italy, Peter Hauggaard from Sweden and Jeroen Elfers from the Netherlands participated in the webinar. The online webinar was also attended by departmental officers, heads of dairy associations and representatives from the dairy industry.