Ministry of Science and Technology (MoST) has approved a project to encourage export-oriented entrepreneurs to acquire ISO certification. The main objective of consultancy for achieving ISO certification programme is to enhance efficiency of entrepreneurs and boost Pakistan's exports by increasing international competitiveness of entrepreneurs. This project, to be completed with total cost of Rs 34.47 million provides small and medium sized enterprises in the manufacturing/service sector with grant/aid to buy local specialist consultancy services from approved consultants.
This would help improve industrial productivity and product quality, particularly to achieve internationally recognised standards and improve links between design, production and marketing.
The programme is being run jointly by Ministry of Science and Technology and Export Promotion Bureau.
It is being supervised by Central Project Monitoring and Evaluation (CPME) committee headed by Secretary MoST with representatives from Ministry of Finance, Planning Division, Environment Division, FPCCI, Ministry of Commerce, EPEI and Provincial Technical Committee.
The advancement of science and the development of technological base are essential conditions of industrial growth. Only those countries are able to compete in the international markets that keep abreast of the up to date product and progresses.
Unfortunately, Pakistan's industry, because of the traditional practices applied in products and processes, have yet to gain the competitive edge," Minister for Science and Technology Chaudhry Nouraiz Shakoor said here on Thursday.
He said although Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in Pakistan want to improve their progress and solve technological problems, but in most cases they are not convinced to the use of services of consultants who are highly trained professionals in their respective fields.
Chaudhry Nouraiz Shakoor said this project will attract the SMEs towards use of consultancy services to resolve their problems, which would invariably led to better product quality, improved industrial productivity, a high level of competitiveness domestically, and wider penetration of Pakistani products in the international market resulting in boost to economy.