Daily Times

The Chief Executive Officer, Engineering Development Board (EDB) met with various companies related to engineering sector at the Faisalabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FCCI).

While welcoming the EDB-team, Rana Sikander Azam Khan, Chairman, FCCI highlighted the important role of the SME sector of Faisalabad in the national economy. He added that the industry at Faisalabad has come a long way since start of industrial activity in the country. Office bearers who were present on the occasion and expressed their views included Vice Chairman, Mr. Bilal Waheed and Engr. Ahmad Hassan, Head R&D Committee. A number of companies representing engineering, textile machinery, agricultural implements, battery manufacturing, and foundry sectors participated in the meeting.

CEO-EDB highlighted the role of Engineering Development Board in supporting the SME engineering sector in the economy. He informed that EDB’s role includes policy making and facilitation of the industrial sector and that the EDB team is here to ensure that the industrialists of this very important city, which is a major hub for the agriculture, textile and other miscellaneous important engineering sub-sectors, are kept in the mainstream of development. Ahmed Hassan, Head R&D Committee of FCCI informed about projects and linkages created with renowned local academia for development of the engineering sector of Faisalabad and the country at large. Director Chenab Engineering stressed on the need for development of a national engineering vision and e-commerce policy for development of the sector as well as government’s role in promoting Industry 4.0.

CEO-EDB informed that EDB’s annual competitiveness and efficiency improvement exercise has been initiated this year with two major changes, firstly with an added objective to generate proposals specifically focusing on enhancing exports of the engineering sector and secondly to proactively reach out to important industry clusters. This annual exercise was kicked-off by from Gujranwala, and the EDB team is visiting various industrial clusters around the country in order to understand issues of the industry and formulate meaningful proposals for betterment of the industry and for enhancing export competitiveness. CEO-EDB requested the member companies of FCCI to submit their budget proposals well in time to ensure their issues are addressed in the forthcoming budget.

CEO EDB informed that earlier a EDB had also held similar exercise at Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) with stakeholders of engineering industry sub-sectors and respective associations of engineering goods wherein representatives from Home Appliances, Power Sector, Glass Sector, Pakistan Steel Re-Rolling Mills Association, Pakistan Steel Melters Association, Pakistan Steel Line Pipe Industry Association, All Pakistan High Carbon Steel Wires Manufacturers Association, Engineering Equipment & Machinery Industry, All Pakistan PVC & Plastic Pipe Manufacturers Association and National Steel Advisory Council had participated. Vice Chairman FCCI, Bilal Waheed thanked CEO-EDB and his team for visiting Faisalabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry and hoped for a continued relationship between the two organizations for betterment of the local industry and the national economy.