Agro Food Processing Facility is being established in Industrial Zone Multan and top priority is being given to the supply of plant machinery from both foreign and local suppliers. It was said in the Board of Management (BoM) meeting held in Multan Regional Office of Punjab Small Industries Corporation.
Zahid Hussain Gardezi chaired the meeting, while other members of the Board, Major Syed Zahid Ali Bukhari (Retd), Mumtaz Khan Manais, Khawaja Muhammad Usman and Shahid Mehmood Sahu attended the meeting.
In the meeting priority agenda was to finalise the suppliers of plant machinery both foreign and local so that the pace of establishment of the present facility could not slacken. Local representatives of two foreign firms, which had qualified the pre-qualification bids out of five applicants, were asked to submit their financial bids before the Board members. The sealed financial feasibility submitted by both the firms were opened and debated by the members.
Project Director Tanveer-ul Islam present in the meeting was asked to scrutinise these submissions and present a comparative assessment in the next Board meeting to finalise the procurement apparatus of the proposed Agro Food Processing Facility.
It was also decided that a two-member sub-committee of the Board comprising Khawaja Muhammad Usman and the Project Director would jointly evaluate tenders for supply of local made machinery component of the Facility.
The Managing Director, Punjab Small Industries Corporation (PSIC) and member of the Board of Management, Agro Food Processing Facility, Muhammad Ali Gardezi apprised the members in detail about the progress in construction of the Facility building in Industrial Phase -II of Multan.
He said the construction phase of Agro Food Processing Facility building was in progress and assured the members of its timely completion. Alamgir Chaudhry, Provincial Chief of Smeda Punjab gave details of financial allocations and interaction with Federal government in this regard.
BoM Chairman Zahid Hussain Gardezi appreciated Smeda, Ministry of Industries & Special Initiatives, Government of Pakistan and PSIC, Government of Punjab, for providing exemplary support and funding in the execution of this Facility.
He also praised the members of the Board of Management for their devoted interest in the establishment of this Agro Food Processing Facility, which will make mango and stone fruit pulp apart from guava pulp, and juices of apple, tomato.