The successive previous governments lacked insight about the challenges of tough competition in trade and failed to take steps for development of industry.
The present government is alive to the competition in the world market and taking effective, far reaching steps for technology up-gradation, production of skilled workers and improvement of quality of products.
Minister for Industries Jehangir Khan Tareen said this here on Tuesday. He was speaking at the inaugural ceremony of tools and dyes centre Gujranwala. The centre, when completed shall provide employment to about 60 persons and train 750 skilled workers per annum to work in the local industry.
The Minister said that the centre was ideally located and accessible to industrialists of Sialkot and Gujrat as well. He said that about 2000 small industrial units are located in Gujranwala alone and promotion of small industries would serve to provide employment to unemployed youth.
He said that Punjab government had reserved Rs 100 billion for industrial development while the federal government had four times more funds to be utilised for strengthening national economy. The Minister told that development funds would be utilised with active participation of the private sector that possesses first hand practical knowledge of industrial needs. Small industry is the backbone of economy and its development is in national interest. He called for promotion of engineering sector that has 50 percent to 60 percent share in the international trade.
The minister laid the foundation stone of tools and dyes centre Gujranwala and inspected Gujranwala Business Display Centre and presided over concluding ceremony of industrial exhibition. Tools and dyes centre shall be built here at a cost of 878 million rupees. District Government has provided 27 kanals of land in the city outskirts for constructing this centre.
Gujranwala Business Centre is another project under construction for promotion of trade in Gujranwala region. It is presently under construction on G. T. Road in front of GCCI office. It shall be constructed at a cost of Rs 60 million and will serve as a permanent display centre of industrial products through out the year.