Engineering Development Board (EDB) has started work on developmental and growth strategy for cutlery sector with the active participation of stakeholders. Its main objective is to improve exports. The Board has identified issues and major irritants to growth and exports.
The Cutlery Association will carry out product group-wise mapping of the sector covering main stream players as well as the vending segment so as to facilitate the Board in developing effective strategies for each component. The major issues pinpointed include raw material availability, technology up-gradation and manufacturing of value-added product, international certifications, brand development, markets identification, export marketing and skill development.
Business Support Fund (BSF) will provide its product and services like franchise programme to young entrepreneurs and smart energy programme for the sector. In a meeting, Chairman, Cutlery Association, Khalid Mughal, CEO EDB, Aitazaz A. Niazi, advised the industry to explore high value-added segments that would require some innovative thinking.
He emphasised that exports of cutlery products, surgical instruments and fans can be doubled in two years' time by focusing on value-added products, certifications and better packaging. He also excited the industry to work on branding Wazirabad city as the Cutlery City of Pakistan and put forward the idea of holding an exclusive exhibition of cutlery products. CEO BSF Saquib Mohyuddin also attended it.
It may be recalled that Engineering Development Board (EDB) and Ministry of Industries together with the engineering industry stakeholders finalised National Engineering Exports Development Strategy (NEEDS) in 2010 covering 20 export oriented engineering sub-sectors. Based on NEEDS sector strategy recommendations, EDB has initiated work on leading export earning sectors of Surgical Instruments, Cutlery and Fans having its focus on developing these sectors on modern lines to multiply their exports.-PR