ISLAMABAD: The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has been working in close coordination with the Institute of Financial Markets of Pakistan (IFMP) to design a curriculum for its fixed income certification programme. Under the new curriculum, the programme will train financial market professionals to understand emerging trends and increase their skills in the areas of marketing, trade, and the investment of fixed income products such as bonds. The programme will also enhance practitioners’ ability to assess the risks related to credit products and the techniques for managing such risks. Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan Chairman Zafar Hijazi said, “The commission appreciates the assistance provided by USAID. This assistance has helped the IFMP expand professional standards for fixed income assets in Pakistan.” A key goal of USAID’s economic growth programme is to help Pakistan build robust market institutions in the country and improve the capacity of market professionals. This support from USAID to IFMP would help build a liquid and transparent debt market in Pakistan and establish professional and ethical standards, he added. He further said that the certification programme would produce a new cadre of professionals that would lead the expansion of the fixed income product market and strengthen the trading of government and corporate bonds, and other interest-bearing instruments in Pakistan.