The environment friendly packaging and decorative products made of the recycled paper can emerge as a specialised industry for women entrepreneurs in Pakistan. The Small and Medium Enterprises Development Authority (SMEDA) Chief Executive Officer Anwar A. Khan stated this while addressing a concluding ceremony of a six-day training program on developing new range of paper products.
Dr Saeed Illahi, Parliamentary Secretary, Professor Dr Javaid Akram, Principal, Allama Iqbal Medical College, Ehsanullah Khan, Chairman, Pakistan Stone Development Company (PASDEC) and Dr Shehla Javaid Akram, President, Women Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Punjab also addressed the ceremony.
Anwar A. Khan said that packaging products made of recycled paper can give salvation from excessive usage of the polythene bags, which have been declared a great hazard to environment in the country. He urged the women entrepreneurs to come forward and promote this industry. He was confident that the industry would become a specialised means of sustainable income for businesswomen. He assured of his fullest support on behalf of SMEDA to promote this business. The PASDEC Chairman Ehsanullah Khan said that PASDEC was striving hard to bring economic prosperity to the nation through marble and granite industry and announced to develop a Mosaic City in Lahore at pattern of the one being developed in Khuzdar.
Speaking on the occasion, the WCCI President Punjab, Dr Shehla Javaid Akram said that recycled paper industry had emerged to be a considerable source of producing exportable items in India that is earning about 3.6 million Pak rupees from export trade of the paper made products. She hoped that the industry would also turn to be an export business in Pakistan with the support of SMEDA.
Principal AIMC Professor Dr Javaid Akram said that a recycling paper mill had been installed for productive use of huge paper waist of the college. The mill had proved to be a sustainable income generation option for paramedical staff of his college, he added.