KARACHI: Federal Secretary for Textile, Syed Iftikhar Hussain Babaron Thursday launched 3rd phase of Stitching Machine Operator Training (SMOT) Program at PHMA's Institute of Knitwear Technology Karachi.

He said it was a follow up of the Textile Ministry's initiative taken in June 2006 under EDF funding being managed by Textile Skill Development Board to provide value-added textile industry skilled workforce, said a PHMA press release.

Under this two-month program,1800 unskilled workers would trained through the PHMA's Institutes in Karachi and Lahore along with PRGMEA's Institutes and through some industrial units in Punjab. Rupees 33 million had been allocated for this purpose. A stipend of Rs 5,000 per month would be given to less privilege class joining this program.

He recalled that under SMOT-I and SMOT-II Programs 8500 workers were trained from 2006 to 2011 whereby trainings were conducted in the industrial units.

PHMA's Central Chairman, Muhammad Jawed Bilwani, in his welcome speech, appreciated that the Secretary Textile for giving deserving attention to the Textile Skill Development Programs to provide value-added textile sector the required skilled workforce to enhance export production.

He called for immediate meeting of Textile Skill Development Board; after lapse of five years.

He also appreciated the Textile Secretary for pleading the case of textile sector before Prime Minister Imran Khan that the major share of the Export Development Fund should be spent for its uplift, as this industry was the main contributor to EDF. Secretary Textile assured that the ministry would seriously consider to the proposal of Jawed Bilwani to establish state-of- the-art SITE campus of PHMA-KTK.