The Export Promotion Bureau (EPB) is planning to establish "Electronics & Electrical Contract Manufacturing City" (EECM-City) in Karachi to help increase exports in value added engineering sector and to create job opportunities and skill development in the country.
In this regard the EPB would request the Sindh Government to provide a 100- acre piece of land for this purpose and it is expected that the Chairman EPB Tariq Ikram would discuss this matter with the governor and chief minister of Sindh in the near future. After completing of the said city in Karachi, the EPB would establish such cities in the other cities in the country.
A high level meeting, Chaired by EPB Chairman Tariq Ikram, was held here a few days back in which this issue was discussed thoroughly. Tariq Ikram said on this occasion that this opportunity be taken up very seriously as it not only helps increase exports in value added engineering sector but also creates job opportunities and skill development in the country.
He constituted an action team comprising of persons who are experts in their fields. The members of the team are Pervaiz Lodhie, President, LED Tronics based in Torrance, California, Miguel R. Santos, Director Boeing Company based in Seattle, Washington, Sultanul Arfeen, Arfeen Group of Companies, Shahid Zaki, Chairman and CEO, Philips-Pakistan, Zubyr Soomro, CEO, Citigroup Pakistan Operations, Mohsin Ali, Secretary General, the American Business Council of Pakistan and Riaz Khan, Executive Director Marketing EPB.
The line of action agreed was to first do a concept paper on the nature and size of opportunity and broadly how Pakistan could exploit this opportunity and the export and employment opportunity that could be expected. Thereafter to identity the sectors where outsourcing would be possible for Pakistan to cater to in the short and medium term. Thirdly, to develop a paper on the 'Case for Pakistan' and this would identify the benefits that a company abroad could expect if they outsource to Pakistan.
He also suggested that State Bank of Pakistan should also include this contract manufacturing industry in the Long Term Export Project Financing Scheme, which had been developed by SBP on the request of EPB to support innovative and new export initiatives.
In the meantime, EPB will contact International Trade Centre to get their technical expertise in order to launch the project. All the members of the American Business Council of Pakistan are fully supporting this project and have assured EPB to help the local electrical and electronics manufacturers in helping them to get order from USA.
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