KARACHI, Pakistan: Federal Ministry of Science and Technology has launched three-year certification initiative programme (CIP) to strengthen small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and to protect the rights of consumers.
CIP costing Rs 750 million will help ensure better quality of products and services, which will boost the exports of the country, said Federal Secretary Science and Technology Fazal Abbas Meccan while speaking at a seminar on creating awareness about CIP in Karachi on Wednesday.
He said the government was trying its best to benefit SMEs through certification. SMEs work as the backbone of economy providing a lot of employment besides increasing exports which are the main contributor towards economic prosperity of the country.
He said CIP was third project related to certification. The ministry was acting very carefully to make this one more successful in comparison to earlier two projects. At present, he added, hardly five percent SMEs were certified.
President Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) Shamim Ahmed Firpo, on this occasion, called for more incentives and facilitation to industrialists and exporters. He pointed out that Bangladesh did not produce a single bale of cotton but its textile exports were much ahead from us.
Federal Secretary Science and Technology said the world was passing through era of faster progress and development. We would have rise and compete with the world.
He revealed that on January 28, 2017 representatives from all major chambers of the country would assemble at KCCI secretariat to form a collective opinion on the main issues relating to trade and industry including the textile package announced by the government.
