Dutch NGO to help EDB in developing engineering industry

ISLAMABAD (May 31 2005): The Engineering Development Board (EDB) and Programma Ultzending Managers (PUM), an NGO of Netherlands, will co-operate in developing the engineering industry in Pakistan. This was decided in a meeting here on Monday between Imtiaz A Rastgar, Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Engineering Development Board, and Leen Haneberg, Country Co-ordinator, PUM.

PUM is a group of senior retired Netherlands experts who work on global level on voluntary base to help organisations of developing countries to solve their problems. PUM had been operating in Pakistan since early 1960s but its operation was stopped in 1999 due to "political unrest".

It has restarted its operation in Pakistan since September 2004. PUM has appointed two local industrialists as their representatives in Lahore and Karachi.

Leen said that PUM has fixed a quota of 35 companies for Pakistan this year, and has already received 15 requests from various Pakistani organisations. He requested Engineering Development Board to assist in pinpointing suitable organisations.

Rastgar said that EDB was organising an engineering exhibition in Lahore in January, 2006, and has targeted participation of 350 engineering organisations so that new stars of the engineering industry could be exposed at global level.

The organiser of world famous Hanover Fair will assist Engineering Development Board to organise this exhibition, he added. Since they have already established deep links with engineering units, EDB can easily guide the organisation to seek assistance from PUM, Rastgar added.

Earlier Leen Haneberg gave a presentation to representatives of various industries in Pakistan at EDB. He explained at length the role of his organisation in trouble-shooting in various manufacturing units in Pakistan. It was attended by representatives of dairy, manufacturing industries and training institutions.

The representative of Dairy Association of Pakistan expressed keenness to benefit from the rich experience of Netherlands in milk production. He highlighted the problems of the industry. Leen assured that his organisation could be of great assistance to them because Netherlands was on top in the world in dairy products.

Zubair Malik, of FPCCI, and Saquib Mohayuddin, Chief, National Productivity Organisation also spoke on the occasion.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2005