Hello All,

This topic is produced for the discussion of High Tech Engineering in Pakistan, as our economy is expanding we need investment in Engineering sector that is Steel manufacturing, high tech auto parts and complex machineries. I would like all the participant to post any significant development in this sector to be posted over here. This is the area which will feed our next level of developments and if our exports are to cross the 20 billion dollar mark then this area has to contribute significantly.

‘Industry needs locally produced moulds, dyes’

LAHORE: A Japan External Trade Organisation (JETRO) expert in technology, Minoru Ohira, said on Saturday that local production of the latest dyes and moulds could help accelerate the process of upgrading technology in Pakistan’s industrial sector.

He was speaking at a meeting on the ‘Dyes and Moulds sector in Pakistan’. He said the strengthening of the domestic dye-making sector could lead to a saving of millions of dollars every year as Pakistan was currently importing dyes.

He said mould-making for plastic injections was not something new in Pakistan and he added that the Pakistan Industrial Technical Assistance Centre (PITAC), Lahore and Pak Swiss Precision Mechanics Training Institute, Karachi were already engaged in mould-making development activities. Ohira said some companies were producing modern moulds. However, he added that there was a need to build capacity for the production of modern dyes so that the pace of the localised production of automotive parts could be expedited in Pakistan.

He said vendors had now started to set up large press-machines thereby making the availability of big dyes an important factor. Ohira suggested that the Technology Upgradation and Skill Development Company (TUSDEC) invest in large dye making facilities. He also suggested that a study be conducted into existing work especially on press dye making, both in Pakistan and in technologically advanced countries.

Earlier, TUSDEC Chairman Almas Hyder told the Japanese technology expert about the efforts made the TUSDEC for the promotion of the dye and moulds sector in Pakistan. staff report

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?p...4-7-2005_pg5_11

Canadian firm to invest in dyes and moulds

By our correspondent

LAHORE: A Canadian firm NexTech is installing dyes and mould manufacturing plant at Sundar Industrial Estate (SIE) for which machinery worth $2 million has already been purchased.

The firm would produce dyes, moulds, jigs and fixture on American technology to meet the mounting demand of the same in the country. Country’s dyes and mould imports have increased from $13 million to $28 million during the last three years following a robust development rate of 38 per cent registered by the engineering sector during the same period.

The company has been registered by three expatriates - two American and one Pakistani Canadian - with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) as a foreign investment venture.

"We will be using technologies of Computer Aided Design (CAD), Computer Aided Machining (CAM) and Computer Aided Inspection (CAI) in line with improving quality," said Chief Executive of the company, Pervaiz Baig.

He said that machinery worth $1 million has already landed while machines worth $1 million will be landing soon. The company has purchased a two-acre plot at SIE "which would be handed over to us in a week or so and then we would start installing machinery on war-footing". He said that the company has planned to produce high-tech equipment like silencers, crank cases and high pressure dye-casting with computerised numerical control in later stages.

Technical Consultant of the company, Inam ul Haq said that the imported machinery is lying at a rented premises near Thokar Niazbeg some 14 km from Lahore only because of the fact that the management of SIE has not delivered the plot in time.

When contacted, Chairman SIE, Engineer Mohsan M Syed said the impression that delivery of the plot has been delayed was not correct. He said that following recent heavy rains in provincial metropolis, development work was delayed for a week, which can not be termed a delay in ‘real sense’. "However, we are already moving ahead according to the schedule which was promised at the time of allotment," he added.

http://jang.com.pk/thenews/jul2005-daily/2...business/b6.htm

PIDC to set up moulds, dyes centre

KARACHI, June 28: The board of directors of Pakistan Industrial Development Corporation (PIDC) has approved the setting up of a state-of-the-art Moulds and Dyes Centre in Karachi at a cost of Rs450 million to facilitate local development of components for the industry.

Federal Minister for Industries, Production and Special Initiatives Jahangir Khan Tareen chaired the 65th meeting of the PIDC board here on Monday. He was briefed about the various projects under study and taken up by the PIDC.

The board was informed that PIDC, a profit-earning corporation was expected to earn a pre-tax profit of Rs300m for the next year.

The board appreciated the efforts made by PIDC management for achieving the target fixed for the current financial year.

The progress report of newly formed company — National Industrial Parks Development and Management Company — was presented to the board.—APP

http://www.dawn.com/2005/06/29/ebr16.htm

Is this discussion just about Mechanical Engineering?

No we can talk about any aspect of Engineering Development, i was emphasizing mechanical engg more because its the sector where we have started to invest more because of rapid development.

Another sector is Telecommunications where Pakistan is investing a lot.Telenor and Warid have been launched in major cities.Due to this Ufone and Paktel is also bringing up more sites.Mobilink has setup its OMC with name of MOBISERV.The main vendors for Telenor are Siemens in south region(multan-khi) and Nokia in North region (lhr-pesh).Main vendor for warid telecomm is ericsson and in new phases Huawei has also got the contract. Mobilink usually uses Motorolla as vendor.Paktel has used ZTE.Ufone goes for Nortel and Siemens.
In Quetta also Telenor is using Siemens equipment.Telenor is trying to get the egde from Mobilink and is striving to take mobilinks place by getting sites even in remote area to cover the largest area in pakistan in next 2 years.

In Pakistan the next cities to be launched by telenor recently are Mardan and Abbotabad,since im working in this project i can also answer any questions.

I have already given the Frequency ranges in 900/1800 band used by all operators in Pakistan in pinned TELECOMMUNICATIONS forum.

Govt committed to protecting auto industry: minister

By Arshad Hussain

KARACHI: Dr Salman Shah, the adviser to the prime minister on finance, said on Friday that the government might reconsider its policy regarding the import of used cars to protect the local auto industry.

Mr Shah assured that the local automotive industry would not be hurt from the import of the used cars and the federal government would prefer the local industry.

In a press conference at a plant of Pak Suzuki Motor Company Limited in Steel town area, Dr Salam Shah said: “If the local industry is hurt, the federal government may re-consider its policy and increase depreciation on the import of used cars. The federal government will not take any adverse measure against the local industry”.

The adviser, who was also accompanied by the state finance minister, Omer Ayub Khan, visited the plant of Suzuki Motor and appreciated the expansion work of the company. The Suzuki Company is continuously expanding its plant in Karachi to enhance its production capacity.

The adviser asked the representatives of automotive industry to continue their expansion and investment plan to meet the demand of new cars.

The demand for the new cars has continuously been increasing for the last two years because of financing from banks and leasing companies, which may touch around 200,000 to 250,000 units in 2005-06.

The commerce ministry, through Trade Policy 2005-06, has allowed the import of used cars up to three years under the gift and personal baggage up to three-year old for parents, husband, wife and children, brothers and sisters.

However, an industry source said that the decision of the federal government to allow the import of cars would halt the investment and expansion plan.

According to a statement of auto industry, the total investment plan of the automotive industry is Rs 80 billion up to 2010, while they have already invested billions of dollars in the country.

Despite the assurance of Dr Salman Shah in Friday’s meeting, the source said: “The industry’s representatives are not satisfied and the decision of further investment would be taken after a thorough assessment of the new trade policy.

“Who will come to buy a locally branded car, when the customer will have a cheaper imported car,” the source said.

Compared to an effective rate of duty of 25 percent in Pakistan, the duty on used cars in India is as high as 156 percent. According to the statement the auto and vendor industry has enhanced its production from 49,000 units per year to 160,000 units per year in four years.

According to the Pakistan Automotive Manufacturers Asso-ciation (PAMA), the total car production increased by 28 percent to 126,403 units during the year 2004-05 compared to 98,461 units locally manufactured or assembled in 2003-04.

Millat Tractors achieved the production of 22500 Massey Ferguson tractors in fiscal year 2004-2005 which is 18% higher then previous year and is set to produce 30,000 tractors in current fiscal year. According to an advertisement in Daily The News.

Long ride to first home-grown car

http://www.dawn.com/2005/08/08/local2.htm

Feroze Khan believes his future was already determined when his homeless mother gave birth to him on a car porch. More than half a century later, he has launched Pakistan’s first home-grown automobile.

It’s been a long road for the boy from a poor Karachi neighbourhood whose life-long fascination with engines, gears and wheels has just driven his native country into the exclusive club of nations designing and producing cars.

“Every nation in the world has taken a lot of pride in making cars, and I wanted to contribute it to my country,” says Khan, whose company has just rolled out his pride and joy — the Revo.

The compact, five-door 800cc model has made a splash on the roads of Karachi in recent weeks. The snub-nosed model costs 270,000 rupees (about 4,500 dollars), some 30 to 40 percent cheaper than entry-level rivals.

“Everyone has liked the way the car looks,” Khan says. “Everyone has liked the engine sound, and the ride is more comfortable than the competitors’.

“The clients’ response is good since it is the first Pakistani car.”

Khan, 56, is undaunted by the competition he faces from global auto giants from Japan, South Korea, Europe and the United States and says that perseverance pays off.

“It’s a marathon,” he explains. “I am not running a 100-metre race.”

Growing up in Aamil Colony, Khan learnt to dream big early, idolizing Ratan Tata, the legendary Indian automobile manufacturer and business tycoon.

By his early twenties he was graduate engineer, going on to build a major car parts company.

“I started on the project seven years ago,” Khan says, “four years for preparations of technology, and three years to work actively on the car.”

The process was a bumpy ride, he recounts.

“It is our national psyche that if you are a Pakistani you can only do a mediocre or a bad thing,” he says. “We want to change that.”

In April, Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz visited the Revo’s roll-out ceremony in Karachi.

“This is a red-letter day in the history of our manufacturing sector,” the premier told the assembled guests. “With this, Pakistan has joined the club of 16 countries having the capability of designing an original car.”

Like a proud father,Khan praises the virtues of the little Revo — a car born and bred in Pakistan with the poorly-maintained roads and hot climate of the South Asian country in mind.

He acknowledges that the car may not yet have the long-refined reliability of its Pakistani-assembled but foreign-designed rivals.

“I am sure that the car is very reliable. I have made sure that we have not cut any corner on quality.”

With a top speed of 150 kilometres (93 miles) per hour and the option to run on natural gas, the Revo can claim both reasonable performance and economy.

Khan is confident his tiny newcomer can squeeze into a gap in the market, based on its budget price and strength and space designed specifically with the needs of Pakistani families in mind.

Pakistan has seen an annual 46 per cent growth in car production over the past three years but there is still a gap in supply of 20,000 to 25,000 cars, Khan says.

Still, not everyone is excited. Critics have grumbled that the Revo has foreign components, including a Chinese-made engine and transmission. But that is about to change now that Millat Tractor has agreed to build the transmission, Khan says.

“And in September we will start setting up an engine assembling plant next to our present plant,” he boasts. “By 2007, we will have this engine being manufactured here in Pakistan.”

French automaker selects Pak vendors

ISLAMABAD: French auto giant Renault has short-listed around eight vendors in Pakistan for buying locally produced parts for its upcoming assembling facility in Pakistan.

Sources in the ministry of industries and production confirmed on Saturday the company is all set to roll out their first locally assembled Renault vehicle by January 2007.

They said the French automaker is already working with a Pakistani auto assembler

Gandhara-Nissan, as Nissan is wholly owned subsidiary of Renault at global level.

An auto industry consultant while talking to APP said Renault and other new companies should be allowed to start local assembling with at least at 60 percent localization.

He said with 12 percent assembling cost addition of only tyres, seats, some of the plastic parts and disposal inputs may take the localise ratio to 40 percent.

He said currently, the maximum localization level in any model of car in Pakistan is around 72 percent, while a local brand, which is yet to roll out on road, is claiming 77 percent localization. In this way, 60 percent localization requirement for Renault and other new companies would be a fair deal.

Honda mulls the plans to increase the cars production capacity from 30,000 units to 50,000 units. They have launched the Honda Accord model also.

Tareen for completing TDM project within year

COMMERCE REPORTER
LAHORE- Jahangir Khan Tareen has asked Technology Up gradation and Skill Development Company (TUSDEC) to complete the Tools, Dies and Molds (TDM) project within one year so that it could be inaugurated on August 14 next.
Talking to Chairman TUSDEC, Almas Hyder who called on him in Islamabad, the minister hoped that the establishment of the TDM project would prove a big support for Pakistan’s engineering sector.
Federal Minister for Industries, Production and Special Initiatives, Jahangir Khan Tareen will chair a meeting of TDM Centre project in Karachi on Tuesday. Chairman TUSDEC, Almas Hyder and 10-member executive committee of the centre being set up in Karachi at a cost of Rs 450 million, will be attending the meeting.
Tareen said that government was taking all the necessary steps to strengthen the national economy especially the engineering industry by setting up the facilities like TDM centre.
According to a press release issued here Thursday, the project being set up by TUSDEC would provide support to country’s dies and mold sector in carrying out rapid prototyping through the latest technologies like stereolithograpy, selective LASER Sintering and Rapid Tooling.
Pakistan Industrial Development Corporation (PIDC) has already provided a piece of land sprawling over an area of 2 acres near National Refinery Limited (NRL) for the project.
The possible beneficiaries of the TDM centre include- state owned companies/ industries, engineering companies in private sector, OEMs in automobile industry, vendor industries like manufacturers of components for automobile industry, manufactures of rubber, plastic and glass products, manufacturers of dies and molds and telecom industry.

http://www.nation.com.pk/daily/aug-2005/26/bnews5.php

Steel producers order import of $102m equipment from India

* Seek approval for new plant with Indian technology

By Imran Ayub

KARACHI: The country’s steel production units have placed orders to import $102 million equipment from India and are now due to meet authorities in Islamabad seeking the nod to set up new plants with Indian technology.

A 16-member Pakistani delegation, representing different steel re-rolling mills and production companies, has recently returned from India and now plans to meet highups in the industry and commerce ministries, in a bid to get support for co-operation with the Indian industry.

“In India we have signed an MoU (memoranda of understanding) to make imports from there,” said Jawed Mughal of Mughal Steel, one of the seven companies, which would import equipment for their steel production plants.

“It will cost over $100 million, but it is not yet decided how long the contracts are for. We have also discussed joint ventures with Indian companies in Pakistan, but for this we would need government support.”

He said the Indian industry was keen to co-operate with their Pakistani counterparts and extended full support in terms of both technology transfer and raw materials supply.

The members of the country’s seven steel mills mainly from Lahore, Gujranwala and Karachi visited Indian state of Chhattisgarh, a hub of Indian steel production and exports, earlier this month. The Pakistani delegation comprises representatives from Mughal Steel, Star Steel, Abdullah Steel, Sonef Steel, Fazal Steel and Qadri Steel.

The six Pakistani companies signed MoU with India’s BK Engineering to import equipments and instruments while the Raipur Alloys would supply 1,000 metric tonnes of ferro manganese to the seventh Pakistani company. The deal was the first of its kind in terms of co-operation in the steel sector between the two countries.

“The country is not in any type of steel trade or co-operation with India,” said Ali Ahmed, vice chairman Pakistan Steel Re-rolling Mills’ Association. He said the Pakistani mills were making imports mainly from the European countries and sometime from South America.

“Currently, heavy imports of steel billets are being made from Russia,” said Mr Ahmed. “But India is not in the list of any kind of supplier.” The government last year allowed unrestricted import of steel billets by the Pakistan Steel Mills and the private sector to ease the prices in the retail market, which touched a record high level during 2004.

The country consumes over four million tonnes of steel every year, but its production stands below three million tonnes. The rest of demand is met through imports from Europe, South Africa and South America.

The millers, after visiting India, are now due to meet with the higher officials of the industry and commerce ministries in an attempt to get incentives to set up more steel production units with co-operation of Indian partners.

“Our total steel is much below than four million tonnes a year,” said Mr Mughal of Mughal Steel. “But at the same time India Chhattisgarh state alone produces 8.7 million tonnes of steel and iron a year. This can help us a lot.”

He said the millers would brief the concerned ministries about their visit to India and demand incentives in tax and duty rates, and were confident of getting a nod from the authorities.

“The main objective of our visit was to outsource from India certain commodities and technologies to fulfil the prevailing demand and supply gap in Pakistan, and it was very successful and positive,” added Mr Mughal.

Al-Tuwairqi Steel Complex to be declared EPZ
RECORDER REPORT
ISLAMABAD (August 31 2005): Al-Tuwairqi Steel Complex, proposed to be spread over 220.21 acres of land at Port Qasim, will be declared Export Processing Zone (EPZ), besides withdrawal of controversial Statutory Regulatory Order (SRO) issued by the Central Board of Revenue (CBR), highly placed sources in the Industries and Production Ministry told Business Recorder here on Tuesday.

The initial proposal for the project was received in October 2003 and the memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed between the GoP and Al-Tuwairqi Group (ATG) on May 28, last year.

According to the MoU, the entire area, ie, 219 acres of land to be occupied by ATG be declared export zone under Export Processing Zone Authority (EPZA) Ordinance, 1980.

The MoU also said that the area, as EPZ, would throughout the life of the project, enjoy each of the facilities/incentives set out in schedule of the agreement. It was also agreed that the notification or directives issued in pursuance of the EPZ Ordinance 1980 will not be withdrawn or adversely modified.

Al-Tuwairqi Group of Companies had already acquired 220.21 acres of land on 60 years lease from Pakistan Steel against the payment of Rs 261 million for the establishment of Tuwairwi Steel Mills at Bin Qasim. The acquired land was being developed for the start of construction work of the project buildings, which is expected to be inaugurated in November.

The Industries Ministry was of the view that it was necessary that the area acquired for the establishment of steel mill by the Saudi group be declared as EPZ under Clause (K) of Section-2 of the EPZA Ordinance 1980 as per the commitment in the MoU.

The sources said the government, in the MoU, assured that it would not withdraw or adversely modify any notification or direction issued in pursuance of the EPZA Ordinance, however, CBR issued amendment on June 2004 according to which "the units established in EPZs shall export only up to 20 percent of their total production to tariff areas in Pakistan, while 80 percent shall be exported to other countries."

The Industries Ministry argued that Tuwairqi Steel Mills Limited (TSML) is to be declared as EPZ as it is primarily based on exports. The project, as per the EPZ rules in vogue at the time of signing of the MoU, was extended unrestricted option to export to Pakistan upon paying relevant tariffs.

Subsequently, the CBR amended the rules restricting export to Pakistan to 20 percent only which was strongly contested by Al-Tuwairqi, challenging that it was subsequent to the signing of the MoU as such new law was applicable to them. The group also approached the concerned ministry for exemption from the condition of 80/20.

The ministry has approached the Economic Co-ordination Committee (ECC) of the Cabinet to declare ATG Complex as EPZ, besides exemption of the area of steel mill area from the effects of CBR SRO, the sources added.

‘New steel policy to give priority to manufacturing’

Staff Report

ISLAMABAD: Jahangir Khan Tareen, the federal minister for industries, production and special initiatives, has said that the government will prioritise different elements while devising a new steel policy.

According to an official statement, he said this during a meeting with a delegation led by the CEO of the Engineering Development Board (EDB). The new policy will give more importance to manufacturing whether imported or indigenous iron ore is used. In the second stage, it will encourage the use of indigenous iron ore.

The minister said that a steel research institute would be established by public-private partnership. A skill development programme in the steel industry will be initiated with the help of the Higher Education Commission (HEC).

The minister made a comprehensive overview of how the Kalabagh iron ore extraction plan and construction of steel mill there by the private sector could be made a reality.

The minister said that the government would encourage and facilitate the private sector to initiate this project. In this regard, he directed the EDB to render its full support in order to give a practical shape to the project.

The minister said that the government would also encourage the private sector to install a Direct Reduction Iron (DRI) plant in Karachi, which will be run with the coal. The DRI is a plant which can replace blast furnace in steel mills. It will cost about Rs 1.5 billion. The private sector demands two main facilities from the government.

The minister stressed the need for grid synchronization between Wapda and the DRI plant in such a way that if DRI surplus energy was sold out to Wapda and if DRI was short of energy, it could purchase it from Wapda.

The grid synchronization mechanism is working in India. The minister said that the government would consider all possibilities for facilitation and options related to the DRI while devising a new steel policy.

Groundbreaking ceremony of TDM by mid-Oct

LAHORE: The groundbreaking ceremony of the Rs 450 million Tools, Dies and Molds (TDM) Centre project is expected to be held by the middle of October this year.

This was announced at a meeting of the executive committee of the proposed TDM Centre in Karachi with Federal Minister for Industries Production and Special Initiatives Jahangir Khan Tareen in the chair. The chairman of Technology Upgradation and Skill Development Company (TUSDEC), Almas Hyder, and members of the TDM executive committee among others attended the meeting.

Speaking on this occasion, Federal Industries Minister Jahangir Khan Tareen stressed completion of the project within one year and added that it should be inaugurated on August 14, 2006. He hoped that the establishment of the TDM centre would prove a big support for Pakistan’s engineering sector. Mr Tareen said that the government would take all the necessary steps for the promotion of the engineering sector in Pakistan with the objective of boosting exports and substituting molds and dies’ imports with local production.

Earlier, TUSDEC Chairman Almas Hyder and TDM executive committee chief Munir Banna briefed the minister about the steps being taken for the establishment of the project. The TDM Centre being set up by TUSDEC in a period of 10 months would provide support to the country’s dies and mold sector in carrying out rapid prototyping through the latest technologies like stereolithograpy, selective LASER sintering and rapid tooling along with support for CAD/CAM and CNC machining. The Pakistan Industrial Develo-pment Corpora-tion (PIDC) has provided two acres in Korangi for the project.

Honda investing $27m to double production

By Arshad Hussain

KARACHI: Honda Motor Co. of Japan, having a joint venture with Honda Atlas Cars (Pakistan) Ltd, has announced it will invest 2.9 billion yens ($26.85m) in the local automotive industry to double its production capacity to around 50,000 units in the current fiscal year.

Honda Motor has 51 percent stake with its joint venture company in Pakistan and is working on a full production capacity of 25,000 units.

Honda Atlas is assembling its two famous models, Honda Civic and Honda City, which are very popular locally and the demand for such models are rapidly increasing.

“Honda said the planned increase in production capacity is aimed at meeting growing auto demand in Pakistan,” said a company press release issued from Tokyo.

“Honda Motor will spend Y2.9 billion to double automobile production capacity at its joint venture in Pakistan by the end of 2006.”

“The company’s decision to make more investment in Pakistan is a result of the federal government policies,” said a dealer.

The federal government has allowed the import of three-year used car under the gift, luggage schemes on a depreciation up to 50 percent.

The government has taken the decision to allow the import of used cars only to bridge the demand and supply gap, he added. The production of the Honda Civic and City models continued to grow to 1,304 units and 1,572 units respectively in July this year compared to 602 units and 854 units of the same models in July 2004.

The production of Honda Civic increased by 116 percent and 84 percent that of Honda City on a month-on-month basis.

During 2004-05, the company produced 24,130 units -- 12,359 units of Honda Civic and 11,771 units of Honda City -- against its capacity of 25,000 vehicles a year. During the year, Honda Atlas' sales surged by 80 percent and touched 24,066 units compared to 13,368 units previously.

The sale of Civic at 12,352 units portrayed 103 percent increase, while City's sales surged by 61 percent to 11,714 units. The ratio of Civic to City has changed from 51: 49 in 2003-04 to 46:54 during 2004-05.

Total car production of the country increased by 28 percent to 126,403 units during the year 2004-05 compared to 98,461 units locally manufactured or assembled in 2003-04, the data said.

Total car sales of the country during the year 2004-05 stood at 127,309 units, representing a growth of 32 percent, over 2003-04 sales of 96,674 units, the data of the Pakistan Automotive Manufacturers Association said.

“Extensive car financing schemes, significant inflow of the foreign remittances into the country have increased the demand new cars,” said Faraz Farooq, analyst at Jahangir Siddiqui and Co. However, the car assembler is still making efforts to double its local production.

According to analysts, the production capacities of the PAMA may touch the mark of 150,000, up by 18 percent in 2005-06.

Motorcycle industry sees boom as production rises

People prefer new bikes as prices drop by 30pc

By Azhar Ali Khan

KARACHI: The federal government recently awarded licences to seven additional local companies for the manufacture and assembly of motorcycles in the country.

With the issuance of these licences, the number of motorcycle producers in the country will reach 42 in the next three months. This number was 27 in May this year and currently stands at 35.

Similarly, the sale of motorcycles across the country has also witnessed an impressive growth over the past couple of years on the back of record production numbers. Sale of new motorcycles has risen to 450,000. In comparison, the sale of second-hand motorcycles has come down as customers seem more interested in brand new motorbikes, rather than going for a used one.

It may be mentioned here that every company has the official permission to produce and launch two of its products under one licence ie motorbike and auto-rickshaw.

The majority of the assemblers in the country are located in Lahore where 13 companies are engaged in assembling motorbikes. Some eight assemblers are located in Karachi, five are in Hyderabad and three are in Gujranwala. One assembler each is operating business in Mirpur, Peshawar, Gujrat, Muridke and Multan.

Experts in the motorcycle industry have said that five years back, only four companies were making motorcycles in the country. This situation now stands drastically changed thanks to the supportive policies of the government.

Another notable change is the increased market share of Chinese-made motorcycles in the Pakistani market. With the positive growth in this industry, prices of the motorcycles have also witnessed a notable decline. Over the past five years, prices of new motorcycles have fallen by some 30 per cent to 40 per cent.

"A 70cc motorcycle which was previously sold at Rs70,000 to Rs75,000, is now available at Rs35,000 to Rs52,000," said a dealer at Akbar Road market Karachi, one of the biggest motorcycle markets in the country.

The production of the motorbikes in the country has also jumped to 500,000 from 350,000, due to higher demand by the customers.

The increase in the demand of new motorcycles in the country is also due to the cheap Chinese spare parts availability in the market.

"Shock absorbers of a Honda-made 70cc motorbike was available at Rs1,800. The same item in Chinese category can be purchased in Rs550," said Asad Farooq who has recently bought a China-made motorbike.

Market sources have said that the quality of Chinese auto parts second rate, but nevertheless, their sales have gained momentum as the purchasing power of a consumer is badly hit by the rising inflation.

Dealers said that the auto parts of China, Thailand and Malaysia are popular in the market. While some auto parts from Japan are being imported, but the share is still less in comparison with China.

Number of companies in the country who manufactured auto parts also soared considerably to 100 as compared to just 40 during the past four years.

It may be recalled that 20 years back, the import duty on Completely Built Unit (CBU) was 105 per cent. This has now been brought down to 90 per cent. However, licensed dealers can import auto parts at the rate of 25 per cent while the importer who imports the auto parts on a commercial basis has to pay the duty at the rate of 30 per cent.

According to details, Pak Hero Industries is assembling PH-70, PH-100 and PH-125, however, the same company is also assembling two-stroke and four-stroke auto rickshaws.

Similarly, Atlas Honda is assembling CD-70, CD-100 and CG-125, while Pakistan Cycle Industrial Cooperative Society Limited is assembling Sohrab JC-70 Plus, JS-125 motorbikes and a 100cc auto rickshaw.

Saigol’s Qingqi Motors Limited is assembling QM-70, QM-100 motorcycles and a 100cc Qingqi motorcycle auto rickshaw, whereas Excel Industries is assembling XL-70cc motorcycle and XL two-stroke auto rickshaw.

New Asia Automobiles is assembling NA-70 motorbike and four-stroke auto rickshaw, however, another company United Sales is assembling US-70 motorcycle and 100cc motorcycle auto rickshaw.

Meanwhile, Blue Star Automobile is assembling BS-70 motorbike and a two-stroke auto rickshaw, while the company Pacific Motor Company Limited is engaged in assembling Sprinter four-stroke auto rickshaw.

HKF Engineering (Pvt) Limited is assembling Ravi RA-70 motorcycle. The Sazgar Engineering Works Limited is assembling four-stroke auto rickshaw, while Star Asia and Zxmco Pakistan (Pvt) Limited are assembling four-stroke auto rickshaw and ZX-70cc motorcycle respectively.

Suzuki Motorcycle Pakistan Limited in Karachi is manufacturing and assembling A-100X, SC-110, GS-125, GS-150 motorcycles, while Dawood Yamaha Limited is engaged in assembling and manufacturing Yamaha Royale 3AH, YB-100 and YD-100 motorcycles.

Dewan Motorcycles Limited is assembling Star DS-70 and Lifan 70cc motorcycles besides Star four-stroke auto rickshaw, whereas Ahmed Automobile Company is assembling Safari SD-70 motorbike and Safari two-stroke auto rickshaw.

Furthermore, NJ Auto Industries is assembling Super Power SP-70 motorcycles, however, Sitara Auto Impex is engaged in assembling Gungta GT-70 motorcycle besides Shahabuddin Enterprises which is assembling Parwaz two-stroke auto rickshaw.

The AB Engineering (Pvt) Limited is assembling Laser 70cc motorcycles, while companies from Hyderabad, Memon Associates Foundry Limited, Raazi Motor Industries and Shafiq Sons are assembling two-stroke Super Star auto rickshaw, Hi Speed SR-70 motorcycles and Jinan JN-70cc motorcycles respectively.

Another company of Hyderabad, DS Motors is assembling Unique UD-70cc motorcycles, whereas Fateh Motors is assembling Hero RF-70cc motorcycles.

Gujranwala-based King Hero Motorcycle Industries is assembling King Hero KH-70 motorcycles and King Hero two-stroke auto rickshaw, while another company Super Asia Motors (Pvt) Limited is assembling Super Asia SA-70 motorcycles.

Another Lahore-based company, Toyo International Motorcycle is busy in assembling Toyo 70cc motorcycle.

A company of Muridke, Suleman Auto Industries is assembling Geo 70cc motorcycles, while another company of Gujrat Metro Hi-tech is assembling Metro MR-70cc motorcycles.

A company from Peshawar, Leena Industries is assembling Kharo 200cc auto rickshaw while another company of Mirpur, Eagle Industries is engaged in assembling Eagle DG-70cc motorcycles.

Raja Auto Cars is assembling Vespa scooter, Vespa auto rickshaw and Hawk RH-70cc motorcycles, whereas a company from Multan, Ali Raza Industries is assembling Royal Star RS-70cc motorcycles.

http://www.transmission-eng.com

A pakistani company engaged in providing the transmission equipment to the racing car of international brand.

Company Profile

Vision Statement
Pakistan 's Leading & Globally Recognized Design & Manufacturing Enterprise of Automobiles & Components.

Mission Statement
A Global Manufacturer and Supplier of Automobile, Its Components and Powered Equipment. Emphasizing on Zero Defects, Using Latest State of the Art Technology and Implementing Best Practices.
We are a Customer Focused Enterprise Giving Best Value for Money and Fulfilling All Obligations as Good Corporate Citizen. We Offer Competitive Returns To All Stake Holders.


Management
The management comprises of highly professional executives that keep themselves abreast of fast changing environs and have progressive and positive outlook.


Statistics
In about two decades of existence the company has passed through many cycles and has emerged as highly successful growth oriented organization. The scope of work is now well diversified and despite highly sophisticated products, our numbers of customers are increasing. Financially the company is now embarking on major expansion and is bringing its facilities at par to meet international challenges. The company has high prestige in employment and dedicated workforce of over 200, which is amongst the best combination of management and highest skilled hands all working in synergy towards defined goals. Practically all expertise are in-house and very little outside assistance is needed.


History and Milestones
Created by three highly motivated engineers the company has now grown into one of the highly reputed engineering concern in the country and is earning laurels not only in the highly quality oriented local auto assembly industry but also in the international engineering arena. In Pakistan we have served Honda, Nissan, Suzuki, Toyota , Hino, Massey Ferguson and New Holland. Our international customers are highly reputed U.S. concerns focusing in the most challenging High Performance and Racing Car Components Industry. The company is now focusing on international OEMs outsourcing forged and precision-machined components to reliable and competent sources, and is gearing up for even higher volumes.

Date of Incorporation: 3rd October 1985
Commercial Production Commencement: 1st July 1988
Converted to Public Limited Company: 1st December 1988
Present Capacity Utilization: 60%
Legal Status
TEIL is a public quoted joint stock company quoted in Pakistan Stock Exchanges.

Eye Opening Facts: Steel Sector
M Azam
February 22, 2003



A Patriotic Appeal to The Concerned Authorities and The Elected Representatives of

It is perhaps our greatest misfortune that profitable steel projects based on local ore were carelessly shelved and then shamelessly forgotten. Instead, this impoverished country vainly celebrated ownership of a debt-generating steel mill that depended on ore imported from the far-flung corners of the world. What follows is a brief overview of the false turns and blind alleys we have taken in the steel sector.

1. Kalabagh Steel Mill Project (1956, 1967): In 1956, M/S Krupp of Germany offered to set up a steel mill based on Kalabagh iron ore. Most of the other minerals, including coal, were available in a radius of only 11 miles from the proposed site. Unfortunately, the concerned minister from a steel-importing family managed to sabotage this project. Mr. Ghulam Farooq, the illustrious Chairman of the Pakistan Industrial Development Corporation, resigned in protest. Interestingly, this Kalabagh iron ore was of such high quality that in June 1966, M/S Salzgitter of Germany procured 15,000 tonnes of the ore, and produced 5,000 tonnes of quality steel which was brought by the world-famous automobile company, Volkswagen. Consequently, M/S Salzgitter offered to set up Kalabagh Steel Mill based on Kalabagh iron ore, and imported coal. This project was estimated to cost only Rs. 1.5 Billion. It adds to the credibility of the project that certain European banks offered to finance the project. Once again, the offer was rejected.

In April 1968, President Ayub Khan accepted the Russian offer for Kalabagh Steel Mill project, and his successor President Yahya Khan inked the project agreement with Russia. However, it was later learnt that Russia did not possess the technology to produce steel from the Kalabagh iron ore. Common sense would indicate that German offers for the Kalabagh iron ore should have been revived. Instead, the site of the steel mill was uprooted, and shifted to Karachi. Not only was its machinery comparatively inferior, but it was also based on imported ore and coal.

2. Nokkundi Iron Ore Project (1972): In 1972, experts from China discovered a substantial quantity of high quality iron ore in Nokkundi, Balochistan. Steel experts from America and Japan confirmed its suitability for steel production. They, therefore, recommended that a mini steel mill be set up in Balochistan. Even till 1999, offers from China and Iran were submitted to our government for this steel mill in Balochistan. Like the Kalabagh iron ore project, this too was never to see the light of day.
Pakistan Steel Mill (1985-): After the engineered demise of the Kalabagh Steel Mill and the Nokkundi iron ore projects, construction of Pakistan Steel Mill was commenced with an estimated cost of Rs. 8 Billion. It was completed in 1985, but only after the costs had soared by an additional Rs. 17 Billion. Moreover, while the installed capacity has been 1.1 million tonnes per year, the average utilization hovers around only 80% of this target. An enlightening comparison with a Brazilian Steel Mill dispels the belief that the fault lies only with the outdated machinery:

3. Table 1: Pakistan Steel Mill and The Brazilian Steel Mill

A Comparison

Pakistan Steel Mill
Brazilian Steel Mill

Year of completion
1985
1956

Origin of Technology
Russia
Japan

Employees
28,000
13,000

Annual Production (tonnes)
0.8 million
4.3 million


4. Pakistan Steel Mill, Financial Considerations: In March 2002, the Public Accounts Committee announced that Pakistan Steel Mill had incurred a loss to the exchequer, in excess of Rs. 10 Billion. Subsequently, the Chairman of the Pakistan Steel Mill also confirmed payable loans of more than Rs. 19 Billion. The figures of the Public Accounts Committee may have been even higher if they had considered the initial investment of Rs. 24.7 Billion, frequent government grants, and loans converted to equity because Pakistan Steel Mill was totally unable to pay back even the bank interest on such loans. Whereas Pak Steel has never achieved its installed capacity to date, expansion plans are underway requiring the investment of an additional $1 to $2 Billion (Rs. 58 to 116 Billion ). Consequently, its already massive financial burden will be multiplied manifold.


5. Chairman Pakistan Steel Mills Corporation Vis a Vis Chairman Pak Steel Mill : Pakistan Steel Mills Corporation was established to develop steel sector on an all-Pakistan basis. Appropriately, Kalabagh and Nokkundi Steel Projects were transferred here from the PIDC. Unfortunately, the successive Chairmen of the Corporation concentrated only on the Pakistan Steel Mill, which, obviously, was the responsibility of the Managing Director Pak Steel Mill. Consequently, the steel sector with its confirmed feasible projects was ignored in other provinces of Pakistan.

6. The Modern Concept of Mini Steel Mills : According to "The Muslim" of July 29, 1996, an Italian "Danieli & Co." signed a contract with Philippines F. Jacinto Group of Companies to set up a state-of-the-art 1.2 mtpy Steel Mill (including supply, installation and commissioning) at an estimated cost of US $ 600 million. Clearly, a smaller steel mill of about 0.8 mtpy capacity should cost much less. This speaks in favor of setting up modern mini steel mills, based on local iron ores, in the provinces of Punjab, NWPF, and Balochistan. Understandably, the preference of recent years is towards state-of-the-art mini steel mills, which are more cost-effective than larger mills, and are also much easier to modernize and upgrade, vide "Newsweek" of February 24, 1992 and "The News International" of April 6, 1991.

7. Parliamentary Committee for Steel Sector Development - A Suggestion: In view of the above, it may be desirable to constitute a Parliamentary Committee, comprising representatives from all the provinces, to consider ways and means to develop steel sector based on local iron ores. Foreign, federal and provincial experts may also be asked to assist. To achieve the desired objective, the committee may please consider the following suggestions also:

A seminar may be held to examine various local iron ores suitable for steel production.
Pak Steel Mill should achieve sustained utilization of its 1.1 mtpy installed production capacity, and then prove its financial viability to justify any consideration of its expansion.
Pak Steel Mill should develop a suitable technology, in collaboration with research laboratories such as the PCSIR, to utilize local iron ore and coal.
State-of-the-art mini-mills based on local iron ores may be considered for Punjab, NWFP, and Balochistan to meet about 75% of our steel requirements now being met through imports.
Steel Sector Development Authority, with due representation of the provinces, may be established under administrative control of the Prime Minister to develop steel sector on all-Pakistan basis. However, Pak Steel Mill may continue to be administered by the Ministry of Industries and Production like other public sector industrial units.


Conclusion: Due to either ignorance, or lack of interest, on the part of decision makers, feasible Kalabagh Steel Mill and Nokkundi iron ore projects were sidetracked and forgotten. Consequently, Pakistan lost over 20 years of steel making, thousands of employment opportunities for mining and transport of local ore, and untold billions of dollars in foreign exchange spending. It should be easier to revive such projects in light of modern technological advancements, adding much needed strength and self-reliance to the steel sector in Pakistan.

Pakistan joins club of ferroalloy producers

KARACHI: First plant for producing ferroalloys to cater to the needs of Pakistan Steel and other steel-manufacturing units in Pakistan has started production in the Dhabeji Industrial Estate.

With the commissioning of plant of ferroalloys, Pakistan has joined a select group of countries producing ferroalloys said a press release issued on Tuesday.

The project was initiated and executed by Al Abbas Industries (AAI) Limited at a cost of $30 million with the technical assistance of South African experts.

The first tapping/casting of ferrosilicon at the plant was carried out successfully early this week and would soon start producing FeMn commercially as well.

The AAI, ISO 9001: 2000 certified plant is first of its kind in Pakistan to commercially produce various ferroalloys using 100 per cent local raw materials and captive electric power generated from mixture of domestic and imported coal. AAI is part of Al-Abbas Group, an industrial conglomerate running cement, sugar, chemical, and board industries.

"I am proud of technical team consisting of local and South African experts for their commitment and efforts to make this plant operational within the time frame," Shunaid Qureshi, the Managing Director of AAI said.

Till now, all the quantities of FeSi and FeMn ferroalloys used in the steel industry for degassing and alloying purposes had to be imported.

The production of these products would relieve Pakistan from importing the two major ferroalloys, thus saving roughly $10 million in foreign exchange.

The MD of Al-Abbas thanked Pakistan Government, Chairman Pakistan Steel, and other organisations whose support and cooperation was impetus to the successful completion of AAI’s Ferroalloy s Industrial complex.

Shunaid Qureshi said that AAI’s complex not only has enough capacity to meet all the domestic demand of FeSi and FeMn, but in future it could also produce other ferroalloys, such as, FeCr, SiMn, etc if deemed necessary.

Indus Motors’ expansion plan

KARACHI: Fujio Cho, vice chairman, Toyota Motors Corporation Japan laid down foundation stone of new bumper paint shop of Indus Motors Plant at Bin Qasim on Friday.

According to a press release, he congratulated the Indus team on achieving sales of 200,000 vehicles in Pakistan. He said Toyota Japan would provide continued support to Indus Motors for further plant expansion in order to increase its production capability to meet the growing demand.

Undersea cable lands at Karachi

KARACHI: Transworld Associates (TWA), Pakistan’s first private undersea optic fibre cable operator, announced today that its undersea optic fibre cable system, TWA-1, has landed at its cable landing station in Karachi.

With direct cable landings in Karachi , Fujairah (UAE) and Al Seeb (Oman), the TWA-1 undersea optic fibre network would offer end-to-end, direct broadband, high-speed connectivity to Pakistan’s growing number of telecom operators, internet service providers, and corporate customers, a press release said.

Speaking on the occasion, Kamran Malik, Chief Operating Officer TWA, said, "This is a proud moment for Pakistan considering that we are the first Pakistani-owned submarine cable system."

He said that Undersea Cable systems are a key strategic national asset and a key ingredient for telecom and IT growth of any country. With international traffic from Pakistan growing rapidly, there is an urgent need for reliable international connectivity. TWA-1 will fulfil this need.

Tyco Telecom, an industry pioneer in the undersea communications technology, is building TWA-1 on a turnkey basis and their experts and sub contractors were also present at the occasion.

The TWA-1 cable system will achieve an ultimate capacity of more than a terabit per second providing maximum resilience and unmatched flexibility to its customers.

The goal is to provide quality bandwidth to Pakistani customers at affordable rates. The company plans to offer an extensive line of service packages that will be unveiled shortly.

http://www.jang.com.pk/thenews/index.html

TYCO TELECOMMUNICATIONS AWARDED TURNKEY SYSTEM SUPPLY CONTRACT BY TRANSWORLD ASSOCIATES (PVT.), LTD. FOR TWA-1 NETWORK IN THE MIDDLE EAST

Undersea Fiber Optic Network Directly Connects Karachi, Pakistan to Fujairah, United Arab Emirates



Under the terms of the contract, Tyco Telecommunications will supply the network including network design, manufacturing, installation, commissioning and testing. Construction is underway on the high-capacity, next generation Dense Wave Division Multiplexing (DWDM) undersea fiber optic cable system, which is more than 1,200 km in length and capable of carrying up to 1.28 Tb/s of transmission capacity when fully upgraded. Planned for initial service in the second half of 2005, the TWA-1 Network is designed to satisfy the increasing demands for voice, data and Internet bandwidth and the accelerating use of broadband services in Pakistan and the Gulf region

link

Waiting for the SEA ME WE 4!

Indians offer cooperation in foundry sector

ISLAMABAD: A five-member Indian foundry delegation, which is on an eight-day visit to Pakistan on the invitation of the Pakistan Foundry Association, called on Imtiaz A Rastgar, chief executive officer (CEO) of the Engineering Development Board (EDB), here on Wednesday.

The delegation comprising R C Kothari, Avinash G Ogale, Anil, M Takalkar, Snehal Patel and Hambir Bhonsle are leading foundry experts of India. They have already visited main foundry units of Karachi and Islamabad and planned to visit foundries in Lahore, Faisalabad and Gujranwala.

According to an official statement, the Indian delegation expressed satisfaction with the development of foundry sector in Pakistan as most of units had ISO certification. They offered training facility to Pakistani workers in various sub-sectors of foundry. They added that India was keen to export its foundry equipment as it was cost effective. Mr Rastgar said that Pakistan had removed the ban on import of foundry machinery from India in the current budget and import policy.

Locally assembled Chevrolet to be launched soon

Staff Report

KARACHI: Nexus Automotive is ready to launch the first Pakistani-assembled Chevrolet car in the country in a few weeks, said the company's chairman, MA Razaq, at a press conference on Thursday.

Nexus Automotive has been importing Chevrolet cars in Pakistan since 2004 and has now entered into assembling of 800 and 1000 cc models in the country with the support of General Motors and Daewoo.

Mr Razaq said the project brought $15 million foreign direct investment in the country, and the company had not borrowed from local banks. He told a questioner that 59 percent deletion would be required in one year.

He said they would manufacture 3,000-3,500 cars next year and increase the production to 8,000-9,000 over the next five years.

He regretted India was far ahead in automobile industry and its exports of auto parts were much higher than Pakistan.

CEO Abdul Razak showed journalists three locally-assembled cars and said it would be launched by middle of December for sale. He said the car had been designed by world-renowned Italian design house Georgetto Giugiaro and manufactured by General Motors Daewoo Auto Technology in South Korea.

Designed by Giugario Italian Design House, the new Chevrolet JOY is a 1000cc car.

Tareen inaugurates locally-made saw-gin machine

ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister of Industries, Production & Special Initiatives Jahangir Khan Tareen has said local production of state-of-the-art “Saw-Gin Machine” will have profound positive impact on the country’s ginning industry.

Local industrialists and farmers will benefit greatly from the development of this machine because the standard of cotton will increase tremendously and Pakistani cotton will fetch a better price in the international market.

He was speaking at the inauguration of the first indigenously made Saw-Gin Machine at Bismissllah Cotton Industries, Bahawalpur, on Tuesday.

According to an official statement, Abdul Majeed, Majeed Group chairman, Masood A. Majeed, Ginning Machine Improvement Task Force chairman, and Chief Executive EDB Imtiaz Rastgar also spoke at the ceremony. Chief Executive Officer of SMEDA Shahab Khawaja was specially invited to attend the ceremony.

The minister said if we had imported modern Saw-Gin Machine from international market, 70% of the local ginning industry might have closed, EDB, SMEDA, PITAC and AMRI developed it locally on the directions of the ministry of industries to meet the requirements of local ginning industry and also to meet the world standards. He informed that the Cotton Standard Institute will monitor it regularly and the cotton made by this machine will also be continuously graded and if the Saw-Gin Machine shows satisfactory results it would be put on sale formally.

Mr Tareen said now the ministry of industries, production & special initiatives plans to set up Model Ginning Factories in Punjab. It will bring a “white revolution” in the country and cotton farmers will reap greater benefits. The CEO EDB said there are more than 1,200 ginning factories in the country and 30% of them are dysfunctional and the cotton produced by these factories is sub-standard, which could not get better price in international market. That’s why Saw-Gin Machine is developed, he informed.

Azam Warraich, chairman of the Pakistan Cotton and Ginning Association, said more and more sugar mills are being set up in the country and the demand for sugarcane is increasing. As a result, cotton area is being reduced. It is not good for the country because 60% of the country’s exports are cotton based.

Fresh investment in auto sector on the way: minister

LAHORE: Minister of State for Finance Omer Ahmed Ghumman said here on Friday fresh investment in the auto sector was on the way that would ease prices in the local auto market.

“Some leading brands in the world such as Folks and Mercedes have agreed to make investment in Pakistan and a Memorandum of Understanding has also been signed in this respect,” he said, adding: “The auto investors were searching out suitable sites for setting up their units in Pakistan.”

Speaking at inaugural ceremony of the Auto Tech Pakistan 2005 International Exhibition at Fortress Stadium, Lahore Mr Ghumman said no duties would be reduced to bring down prices of imported cars, as the government was having new plants of automakers in order to bring down prices. He said both the president and the prime minister were favouring the setting up of new plants in the country and the government would be facilitating them fully. According to him, the deletion programme would be concluded by 2007, which was proving a hurdle in the way of setting up of new car plants.

Auto imports seen disturbing balance of payments
RECORDER REPORT
ISLAMABAD (December 28 2005): Industries Minister Jehangir Khan Tareen on Tuesday underlined the importance of increasing local production of automobiles.

"There is a need to increase production of automobiles locally because huge automobile imports were disturbing country's balance of payments," the minister said in a meeting.

The meeting, convened to discuss auto policy, was attended by Engineering Development Board (EDB) chairman Waseem Haqqie, vice chairman Imtiaz Rastgar, and former commerce minister Abdul Razak Dawood.

The minister also asked the EDB to focus on agriculture machinery because Pakistan is mainly an agriculture country and the agriculture machinery, like tractors, is in great demand.

Later, talking to newsmen, Imtiaz Rastgar said the meeting was convened to develop consensus and discuss automobile policy to meet the future demand. Merely increasing imports and not concentrating on the export of vehicles would more negatively impact the balance of payments.

He said two new manufacturing companies - Fox Wagon and Renault - would soon start production in Pakistan. He underlined the importance of developing engineering sector parallel to the cotton sector for sustainable economic growth.

He said because of the Chinese investment in the motorcycle sector, different companies have produced some 0.06 million motorbikes. "Now we are in a position to export motorbikes to countries like Nepal and Bangladesh," he added. He said Honda has expressed its desire to manufacture motorbikes in Pakistan and to export them from here.

Good news. Heard about it last night here in lhr.

Any idea which company's r opening up assembly lines here? I've noticed more diverse cars coming in. I saw the Porsche show room in gulberg last night, and the bmw one in defence. Seen the accord and rx-8 here aswell.. heard they are assembled locally.

Renault plant is coming up in Karachi with Gandhara Nissan facility being used,Jehangir Tareen said that they are discussing with a German company to finance cars on 4 pc. Normally they attribute Renault as also German company so may be this is the one (although Renault is a french origin company).

Thats good.

Any news on that Revo? I haven't seen it anywhere. Heard it hasn't even hit the road yet?

South East Asia Middle East Western Europe
SEA ME WE


the famous optic fibre.

Millat Tractors of Pakistan employs 9,000 people, making 11,000 three- and four-cylinder engines a year, primarily for tractors. About 70 per cent of components for the three-cylinder Perkins engine built at Lahore are locally made. The chance to make them has stimulated a network of Pakistani industrial undertakings.

The international reputation and services network of Perkins engines help overseas licensees to export. Ten per cent of Millat's tractors go to Africa.

http://www.worldaware.org.uk/awards/awards1990/perkins.html

REVO has a very good response from the buyer, i happend to talk to a person who bought 1000cc REVO and he gave me very good feedback.One of my colleague is interested to buy 800cc but it is only offered at display at Islamabad and not for sale.REVO is available in stock in Lahore and Karachi region. I was looking at PAMA site and didn't find any data on the production of these models although they are in production. I am hopeful that these model have hit the market well.

TELENOR PAKISTAN SELECTS AZURE SOLUTIONS FOR LDI BILLING

Azure Solutions, the revenue assurance company, today announced that Telenor Pakistan has implemented Azure’s interconnect billing solution to provide billing and rating for its LDI (Long Distance International) services.

Telenor secured a license to provide mobile and international interconnect services in Pakistan in 2004 and subsequently required an effective billing solution. Due to its work within Telenor Global Services and ability to deploy in short timescales, Azure Solutions was selected to provide the operational billing solution for the new Telenor Pakistan business.



Azure Interconnect helps operators to manage their costs effectively by being able to settle quickly and accurately with interconnect partners. The system provides operators with visibility of CDRs (call detail records) and the ability to adapt to rate changes quickly to ensure billing accuracy. Azure Interconnect also provides support for new challenges such as IP or SMS interconnect.

The Telenor Pakistan deal is Azure’s fourth customer announcement in the region over the last 12 months highlighting the need for revenue assurance solutions in the market. “Pakistan is currently the fastest growing mobile market in the world”, commented Paul Budde from leading telecoms analysts Paul Budde Communications.

Ahmad Sayed, sales director at Azure Solutions in Pakistan, said: “We are delighted to be working with Telenor Pakistan. Azure Interconnect provides Telenor with a best-of-breed LDI billing and rating solution, which will enable it to maximise its revenues. Telenor is a valued customer for Azure as we have already deployed interconnect solutions for other parts of the Telenor group.”

- ### -


About Azure Solutions (www.azuresolutions.com)
Azure Solutions is the world’s largest revenue-assurance company. It is headquartered in London, with people in Westminster (Colorado), Ipswich, Paris, Frankfurt, Madrid, Barcelona, Islamabad, Kuala Lumpur, Jakarta, Singapore, Sydney, Melbourne and Mexico City. Azure’s end-to-end revenue-assurance product portfolio for current-generation networks includes Data Integrity, Wholesale and Interconnect Billing, International Settlements, Fraud Management, Mediation Management, Translation and Rating, Event Integrity and Route Optimisation. Azure has launched Azure Inter-Party Management and Azure Fraud Control System as the first products in its next-generation portfolio. Azure provides individual products or complete revenue-assurance solutions using a common platform and any combination of products that a customer might need. Customers can choose a system that they own and operate themselves or a bureau that Azure manages on their behalf. Azure has over 65 customers across the world comprising PTTs, mobile operators, national operators, carrier’s carrier and cable TV companies. Azure has significant carrier experience and understands the problems faced by all these operators.

The company’s heritage can be traced back to BT in the early 1990s. Azure was spun out of BT in April 2003 and is backed by New Venture Partners, Doughty Hanson Technology Ventures and Intel Capital.

Azure won the ‘Best Revenue-Assurance Project’ award at the World Billing Awards 2005 in London, and ‘Most Promising Company’ at the TeleStrategies Billing & OSS World Excellence Awards 2005 in Philadelphia.


SOURCE

Chinese firm, CTI Pakistan to manufacture fixed wireless terminals

By APP

A Chinese firm has entered into an agreement with CTI Pakistan for local manufacturing of fixed wireless terminals.

This was announced in a statement of Huawei Technologies (Chinese) in a statement issued here on Friday.

It said that this joint venture involves transfer of technology to CTI Islamabad.

The statement further pointed out that this collaboration will go a long way to provide the basic consumer item of WLL terminals to the subscribers of a WLL Operator at an economical price with the indemnity of local support as after sales services.

It added further that the product line has been set up in Islamabad CTI factory. The output of the production line will be 300,000 fixed wireless terminals every year which will accommodate hundreds of jobless engineers.

The Chief Executive Officer of Huawei Technologies, Wang Wei, remarked that the cost effective WLL terminal production for the first time in Pakistan will encourage employment.

The CTI will make an investment of Rs. 12 million to set up a proper production line . Thus the sets will be available in local market at an affordable price.

Huawei Technologies will also initiate further local manufacturing in Pakistan.

I have worked in CTI from March 1998 to February 2004, this is mere assembly and CTI will earn the margins from the assembly. I dont think there is any big Transfer of Technology in this deal.

The Engineering Development Board (EDB) is eyeing to achieve the engineering goods export target of $1 billion during 2006-07, against $713 million of 2004-05, it is learnt.

Sources in EDB told Business Recorder on Monday that the Board was updating the list of exporters, taking into account their problems and difficulties, for enhancing exports of engineering goods.

Despite the biggest slice of world trade (70 percent of engineering goods), sadly and surprisingly, the country's export of these products is limited to a few products that include electric fans, transport equipment, some electrical machinery, machinery for particular industries, auto parts and other machinery, sources said.

Moreover, the Board was also focusing on acquisition of modern state-of-the-art technology for increasing exports, they added.

"There are large areas of the country that are engineering-oriented and produce natural engineers--even illiterate mechanics--with world class potential", they said.

Places like Gujranwala, Sialkot, Gujrat, Wazirabad, Lahore and even parts of Karachi are producing items with their innate engineering skills, but they have no exposure to market their products globally, sources said.

The exports of engineering goods in November amounted to only $9677, against $10,290 in October, while the amount was $9830 in November 2004, whereas exports of engineering goods stood at $394 million during 2003-04, and $332 million in 2002-03.

Al-Tuwairqi Steel Mills declared EPZ
RECORDER REPORT
ISLAMABAD (January 17 2006): The Central Board of Revenue (CBR) has declared Al-Tuwairqi Steel Mills, Karachi as Export Processing Zone (EPZ), and the mills has been exempted from the mandatory condition of 80 percent exports of the total production. The CBR has amended Customs Rules 2001 through SRO (I)/2005 issued on Monday.

It is mandatory for units in Karachi Export Processing Zone (KEPZ) to export 80 percent of production, with only 20 percent to be sold in the tariff area. However, the rule has been relaxed for the said steel mills to encourage investment. Thus, the unit has been exempted from the condition of 80 percent export of total production.

FOLLOWING IS THE TEXT OF THE NOTIFICATION ISSUED ON MONDAY: In exercise of the powers conferred by section 219 of the Customs Act, 1969 (IV of 1969), the Central Board of Revenue is pleased to direct that the following further amendment shall be made in the Customs Rules 2001, namely:-

In the aforesaid rules, in rule 228, in sub-rule (5), after the word "Zones" the words and comma "excluding M/s Al-Tuwairqi Steel Mills, Karachi", shall be inserted.

Hand, machine tools fair opens

Staff Report

KARACHI: Investors of Switzerland and Malaysia will invest around $10 million in engineering and construction sector of the country, Basit Alvi, former chief Pakistan Hardware Merchants Association (PHMA) said on Saturday.

During the inaugural session of the three-day engineering products and engineering hand and machine tools exhibition at Expo Center, Mr Alvi said these companies have shown interest to invest in construction industry and engineering sector.

He said this collaboration in launching joint ventures with Pakistani companies would boost manufacturing capacity and improve standards of products besides provide employment opportunities to skilled and semi skilled workers. He said after completion of these engineering projects our exports of engineering products to Asian and other countries would become manifold.

US firm donates software to Karachi TDM Centre

LAHORE: The Tools, Dies and Moulds Centre in Karachi will be equipped with 100 seats of UGS’ NX Software for Computer-Aided-Design (CAD) and Computer-Aided Manufacturing (CAM) Systems for teaching, training and developing human resources for the rapidly growing engineering industry in Pakistan.

According to a press release issued here on Saturday, the centre being set up by the Technology Upgradation & Skills Development Company (TUSDEC) provides support to the country’s dies and moulds sector in carrying out rapid prototyping through latest technologies such as Steriolithograpy, Selective LASER Sintering and Rapid Tooling along with support for CAD/CAM and CNC machining.

The TDM Center would deploy Unigraphics software as part of a complete tutorial system for product development, design and manufacturing. Induction of UGS software would ensure smooth transition of data between applications such as 3D Scanning Devices, Rapid Prototype Machines and CNC Machine tools.

Praising US firm Unigraphics for donating software to the TDM centre, TUSDEC Chairman Almas Hyder said the establishment of TDM equipped with latest machinery and software would have a positive effect on the engineering sector as well as the national economy. He said Pakistan now had no choice but to jump the curve to come in line with the hi-tech digital technology prevailing globally in the engineering industry.

The Chairman of the TDM Centre, Munir K Bana, said the TDM Centre would disseminate “hands-on” training to employees in the engineering industry, besides launching fully-fledged technical courses for fresh engineering graduates.

“To begin with,” he said, “The TDM Centre Karachi will soon be beginning classes in the fields of Computer Aided Designing (CAD), Computer Aided Manufacturing (CAM) and Computer Aided Engineering (CAE).” He said Unigraphics software will go a long way in helping our local engineering industry to catch up with the worldwide industry leaders.

The PIDC has provided two acres of land in Korangi Industrial Area, Karachi, for the project. The expected beneficiaries of the TDM Centre are telecom, automobiles, medical devices, home appliances, aviation and dies & moulds manufacturing sectors.

Efforts on to enhance engineering share

By our correspondent

LAHORE: Pakistan is aiming at opportunities to enhance share of engineering sector in overall domestic manufacturing from 18 per cent to 30 per cent till 2012 in a bid to capitalise on major chunk of global trade of engineering goods.

The share of engineering sector in global trade is about 63 per cent while in sheer contrast the share of textile stands at only about six per cent. These views were expressed by EDB Chief Executive Officer, Imtiaz Rastgar who was speaking at the ‘Discussion’ programme of the Lahore Economic Journalists Association (LEJA) on Monday at the office of Punjab Industrial Estate.

He threw light on the present scenario of engineering sector in the country and talked about its potential and challenges being faced by local manufacturers. "EDB is endeavouring to interlink local manufacturers with international companies to increase the share of engineering sector in overall manufacturing," he said, adding, $1 billion worth of export of engineering goods is being aimed by year 2007.

He said Pakistan succeeded in increasing exports of engineering goods to nearly $400 million but there is dire need to augment exports manifold. He was of the view that strengthening of engineering sector had also assumed paramount importance in order to make it the driving force of economic growth.

"Our companies are largely focusing local market and are reluctant to capture world markets due to variety of reasons," he observed. He pinpointed various constraints of engineering sector, saying that absence of world class manufacturing education, lack of modern machinery and technology, very low value addition and high dependence on tariff protection.

He said in the absence of efficient marketing team, local manufacturers are facing severe problems in competing in the world market. "Pakistan needs techno-preneures who should be capable of latest skills as well as business techniques," he viewed.

He was of the view that local manufacturing companies should have exposure to international markets, acquire latest technology, seek joint ventures and invest in value addition. "Instead of manufacturing low quality goods, we must focus on value addition in order to jumpstart chain production of quality goods.

Nabeel Hashmi, head of Business Development Group of EDB said that a comprehensive programme of various exhibitions had been finalised to give international exposure to the Pakistani companies. "Following government policies as many as 70 companies would attend Hannover fair," he said, adding, unlike previous practice, we are aiming to attend various exhibitions in a big way.

He also informed that the intending exhibitors of Hannover fair were also being imparted training from foreign experts. He said that ‘Engineering Pakistan 2006’ was also being organised in November this year with the same objective of introducing local manufacturers of high quality goods.

http://jang.com.pk/thenews/jan2006-daily/3...business/b3.htm

EDB workshop on steel-making on 11th

ISLAMABAD: The Engineering Development Board (EDB) will organize a workshop for local industrialists so that they can explore the possibility of producing steel through the Romelt process, a latest technology developed by a Russian company.

The EDB, in a statement on Monday, said it had been learnt that a Russian company, M/s Tyashpromexport, had developed a new technology, “Romelt,” which uses lean iron ore (with iron content not less than 30%) for iron production. The workshop is being organized in TUSDEC Auditorium, Lahore, on Feb 11.

Working under the ministry of industries, production & special initiatives, the EDB is entrusted with responsibilities for the development of the engineering sector of Pakistan and connecting it to the global markets. The EDB believes that for a globally competitive engineering industry a sound and competitive steel sector is the pre-requisite. The main focus of the EDB is to put up steel mills in the country that are mainly based on indigenous iron ore.

The approach Pakistani Engineering Industry needs to follow step by step too;

China Seeking Auto Industry, Piece by Piece

By KEITH BRADSHER
New York Times

CHONGQING, China, Feb. 16 China is pursuing a novel way to catapult its automaking into a global force: buy one of the world's most sophisticated engine plants, take it apart, piece by piece, transport it halfway around the globe and put it back together again at home.

In the latest sign of this country's manufacturing ambitions, a major Chinese company, hand-in-hand with the Communist Party, is bidding to buy from DaimlerChrysler and BMW a car engine plant in Brazil.

Because the plant is so sophisticated, it is far more feasible for the Chinese carmaker, the Lifan Group, to go through such an effort to move it 8,300 miles, rather than to develop its own technology in this industrial hub in western China, the company's president said Thursday.

If the purchase succeeds and it is early in the process China could leapfrog competitors like South Korea to catch up with Japan, Germany and the United States in selling some of the most fuel-efficient yet comfortable cars on the market, like the Honda Civic or the Toyota Corolla.

The failure of China to develop its own version of sophisticated, reliable engines has been the biggest technical obstacle facing Chinese automakers as they modernize and prepare to export to the United States and Europe, Western auto executives and analysts said.

Buying that technology from overseas would not only remove this obstacle but would also plant China's auto industry solidly in a position to produce roomy cars that can also get more than 30 miles to the gallon.

The engine plant is one of the most famous and unusual in the auto industry. Built in southern Brazil in the late 1990's at a cost of $500 million by a 50-50 joint venture of Chrysler and BMW, the Campo Largo factory combines the latest American and German technology to produce the 1.6-liter, 16-valve Tritec engine.

Lifan says it is the sole bidder for the factory and wants to bring it here to start producing engines in 2008. Though China's Communist Party is actively behind the effort, the bold moves are being driven by one of China's remarkable entrepreneurs: Yin Mingshan has become one of China's most successful and most politically connected corporate executives, with a hardscrabble upbringing that included spending 22 years of his earlier life in Communist labor camps and prison as punishment for his political dissent.

Now the enormously wealthy and prominent president and principal owner of Lifan, Mr. Yin has his sights on exporting to Europe in 2008 and the American market in 2009.

Trevor Hale, a DaimlerChrysler spokesman, and Marc Hassinger, a Bayerische Motoren Werke spokesman, each said separately that their companies were assessing their options for when their joint venture legal agreement expires at the end of next year, but that it was premature to provide details.

The Tritec engine is one of the most technologically sophisticated and fuel-efficient car engines in the world, said Yale Zhang, an analyst in the Shanghai office of CSM Worldwide, a big auto consulting company based in the Detroit suburbs. Mr. Yin said he wanted to rebuild the factory on vacant land next door to his car assembly plant here. His goal is to understand the technology thoroughly so that he can supply engines not only for Lifan but also for other Chinese automakers.

In an interview on Thursday in a glass-walled conference room overlooking his recently completed car assembly plant, Mr. Yin, 67, said that while Lifan would pay for the factory, the Chinese negotiating team is being led not by a Lifan official but by a senior Chinese Communist party official, Huang Zhendong.

Mr. Huang, 65, is a member of the party's powerful Central Committee and led the party's Chongqing branch until December, when he became a senior member of the influential legal committee of the National People's Congress in Beijing.

Mr. Yin's deputy, Yang Jong, Lifan's chief executive, has accompanied Mr. Huang on a visit to Brazil. "Everyone knows you need government support the government may provide land," Mr. Yin said.

Any attempt to buy a comparable factory in the United States might be blocked. But Mr. Yin said that Brazil did not have comparable restrictions on the export of high technology.

Lifan, already one of the world's largest motorcycle manufacturers with sales in 112 countries, is about to start exporting its remarkably well-built, $9,700 midsize sedans to developing countries in Asia, the Mideast and the Caribbean. But several more years of work is needed before the company is ready to compete in industrialized countries, Mr. Yin said.

"Chairman Mao taught us: if you can win then fight the war, if you cannot win, then run away," he said. "I want to train my army in these smaller markets, and when we are ready, we will move on to bigger markets."

Accustomed to producing lightweight, fuel-sipping cars for cost-conscious Chinese families, Chinese automakers want to use that expertise as a competitive advantage around the world while oil prices stay high. Geely, a separate Chinese carmaker that surprised American and European manufacturers by announcing plans at Detroit's auto show last month to enter the American market in 2007, was emphasizing gas mileage even before oil prices surged in the last two years.

When crude oil prices were much lower than they are today, Geely switched from an inexpensive electronic engine control and fuel injections system made by Denso of Japan to a more expensive but more fuel-efficient model made by Bosch of Germany, said Lawrence Ang, an executive director of Geely.

Multinational automakers have struggled in China to keep up with the public's growing appetite for fuel-efficient models. Chinese carmakers like Chery and Geely captured a quarter of the Chinese market last year, up from less than 10 percent just two years earlier, said Michael Dunne, the president of Automotive Resources Asia, a consulting firm.

"Why the spurt? Small cars powered by gas-sipping engines that start at $4,000," Mr. Dunne said.

Raymond Bierzynski, the president of the Pan Asia Technical Automotive Center of General Motors in Shanghai, said that gasoline costs were more important to consumers in China than elsewhere because these costs represent a higher share of the low household incomes in China. G.M. sells its Buick Excelle compact sedan with special, low-rolling-resistance tires in China, which it does not do in any other market and which increases gas mileage by up to 2 percent, he said.

Chrysler and BMW began construction of the Campo Largo factory in April 1998, a month before Daimler-Benz began a takeover of Chrysler that it completed in November of that year. Heralded in the automotive press at the time as arguably the most advanced engine factory ever built, the factory had already become a corporate orphan by the time production began in September, 1999.

The Brazilian auto market had entered a slump by then and Daimler already had ample engine manufacturing capacity of its own and was uncomfortable collaborating with its longtime German rival, BMW.

BMW installs its half of the engines from the factory in its award-winning Mini Coopers. But it has already announced that future engines for these cars will come from a factory in France that is owned and operated by PSA Peugeot Citroën.

Chrysler used to put the Brazilian-made engines in its Neon compact cars and the PT Cruiser. But it is now selling its half of the engines to Lifan and to Chery Automotive and a Chinese joint venture by Mazda.

Mr. Yin and spokesmen from DaimlerChrysler and BMW declined to comment on the price under negotiation for the factory.

Lifan made its debut into the car market just last month with the introduction of the Lifan 520 sedan, assembled in the company's sprawling new assembly plant here, where the conveyor belt is bright red and the giant clamps holding unfinished cars are bright yellow the colors of China's flag. Lifan models itself on Honda, another motorcycle manufacturer that entered the car market, and shares Honda's emphasis on efficient, energy-saving designs.

Lifan has also copied Honda's focus on quality. Huge characters of Mr. Yin's sayings adorn a Lifan motorcycle engine factory inside and out; an illuminated board over the assembly line reads: "Whoever wrecks Lifan's brand, Lifan will wreck that person's rice bowl."

A test drive here of the Lifan 520 sedan showed it to have an impressively sturdy body with no rattles or wiggles even when traveling over very rough pavement although this is no guarantee of long-term reliability. There is ample headroom in the front seats and even the rear seats for a 6-foot-4 occupant.

The $9,700 price tag includes leather seats, dual air bags, a huge trunk and a DVD system with a video screen facing the front passenger a combination that could cost twice as much in a comparably equipped midsize sedan in the United States.

Wages of less than $100 a month have helped control the cost. The assembly plant is better organized than many Chinese factories, although it still maintains large inventories of parts and materials awaiting assembly, incurring interest charges to finance these supplies.

Mr. Yin has no doubts that China can also compete with the United States.

Lifan-520, the new compact sedan is powered by a 4-cylinder 1.6-liter petrol engine supplied by Tritec of Brazil. It is the same engine as found in the Mini Cooper and the Chery Fengyun.

US firm donates free software to Karachi TDM centre

The Tools, Dies and Moulds Center in Karachi will be equipped with 100 seats of UGS’ NX Software for Computer-Aided-Design (CAD) and Computer Aided Manufacturing (CAM) Systems for teaching, training and developing human resources for the rapidly growing engineering industry in Pakistan.
According to a press release issued here Saturday, the center being set up by Technology Upgradation & Skills Development Company (TUSDEC) provide support to country’s dies and moulds sector in carrying out rapid prototyping through latest technologies like Stereolithograpy, Selective LASER Sintering and Rapid Tooling along with support for CAD/CAM and CNC machining.

The TDM Center would deploy Unigraphics software as part of a complete tutorial system for product development, design and manufacturing.

Induction of UGS software would ensure smooth transition of data between applications such as 3D Scanning Devices, Rapid Prototype Machines and CNC Machine tools.

Appreciating US firm Unigraphics for donating software to TDM centre, Chairman TUSDEC, Almas Hyder said that the establishment of TDM equipped with latest machinery and software would have a salutary effect on the engineering sector as well as the national economy.

He said that Pakistan now has no choice but to jump the curve to come in line with the hi-tech digital technology prevailing globally in the engineering industry.

The Chairman of TDM Centre, Munir K. Bana, said that the TDM Centre would disseminate "hands on" training to the employees in the engineering industry, besides launching full-fledged technical courses for fresh engineering graduates. "To begin with," he said, "TDM Centre Karachi would shortly be commencing classes in the fields of Computer Aided Designing (CAD), Computer Aided Manufacturing (CAM) and Computer Aided Engineering (CAE)."

Bana said that Unigraphics software would go a long way in helping our local engineering industry to catch up with the worldwide industry leaders.

Pakistan Industrial Development Corporation (PIDC) has already provided a piece of land over an area of 2 acres in Korangi Industrial Area, Karachi, for this project. The expected beneficiaries of TDM Centre are telecom, automobiles, medical devices, home appliances, aviation and dies & moulds manufacturing sectors.

Simcon International (Pvt.) Ltd, the Unigraphics (UGS) Channel Partner in Pakistan, would be the first line of support for UGS at TDM Center.

"It is a great honour for Simcon to be part of this service to the nation," said Simcon’s Managing Director, Farrukh Jamal, the prime mover of the effort from Simcon.

He added that the availability of UGS software at TDM Center would introduce state-of-the-art technical know how to the Pakistan engineering industry and further stated that we are grateful to UGS Corporation for their initiative and generosity.

UGS is a leading global provider of product lifecycle management software and services with nearly 4 million licensed seats and 46,000 customers worldwide.

Prime Minister opens Boeing parts facility at PAC
KAMRA (February 28 2006): Pakistan on Monday joined the coveted list of countries manufacturing aircraft parts for the world's largest aircraft manufacturer - The Boeing Company.

Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz inaugurated the manufacturing facility at the Pakistan Aeronautical Complex (PAC), which is already manufacturing six types of aircraft, three types of engines, air defence and air-borne avionics systems and their components.

Prime Minister Aziz appreciated Boeings willingness to transfer technology to further cement business relations and help in building bridges between the East and West.

Boeing offered transfer of technology. Boeing Quality Management System Certification training and technical support to PAC, after evaluating all necessary infrastructure, expertise and internationally recognised Quality System at PAC.

It has received orders for manufacture of 476 parts by November 2006. Boeing is to purchase parts from the PAC till August 2010 under an agreement, which could be extended for another two years.

The PAC has also commissioned the hi tech CNC machines received for Boeing and continues to upgrade its manufacturing special processes - Heat and Surface Treatment and Non-Destructive testing facilities. Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz also inaugurated the C-130 aircraft propeller overhaul facility for the Hamilton Sunsdstran of Holland.

CHINESE FIGHTERS: Pakistan is also currently working on an ambitious joint production programme with China to replace its aging fleet of Chinese fighters, with a modern multi-role, all-weather, day-night aircraft. The PAC is supplying aircraft and services to several international companies, including the Rolls Royce USA, SAAB of Sweden, Sagem of France.

He said the companies should see the PAC as their extension. "We are not shy of performing, of delivering of being competitive and will supply you the quality products," he added.

Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz also called for more joint ventures and more focus on marketing to leverage the full potential of the organisation. He said with reliability, quality and dependability as its hallmarks, the PAC would now be a partner of Boeing and join the list of its international vendors.

The Prime Minister referring to the overhauling of propellers for the C-130 aircraft, said it was a workhorse used by many air forces around the world. "We need to market our capabilities and need to go for joint ventures," he added.

Describing the PAC as a "Centre of Excellence" he appreciated its role in the rebuild, manufacturing and design of aircraft and said, "every Pakistani is proud of PAC...you have made us proud."

He said the JF-17 Thunder will be the frontline aircraft of the Pakistan Air Force in the next decade as it has the necessary punch, the avionics and the capability to defend the country's airspace.

The Prime Minister said the PAC would expand its manufacturing capabilities in electronics, avionics and production of aircraft.

SELF-RELIANCE: He said self-reliance for essential defence equipment was very important for Pakistan as it has seen many ups and downs in the past.

"The more self-reliant we are, the more we are prepared for future challenges," he said. Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz said steps were under way to further enhance exports of the Super Mashak aircraft and appreciated that they have earned the PAC a good repute, both by civil and military users.

Air Vice Marshal Aurangzeb Khan, Chairman Pakistan Aeronautical Complex Kamra, said: "The PAC has developed a sound technological base that can meet international military and civil aviation standards."

He said the PAC underwent an in-depth survey and fulfilled all pre-requisites for the award of contract from Boeing. Four PAC factories attained the highest quality certification in Aerospace manufacturing of AS-9100 Rev B standard and the ISO 9001 Quality Management System.

"The expertise attained has not only synergized our existing indigenization and JF-17 co-production programmes, but has also enhanced our ability to absorb such offset related opportunities in future," he added.

Vice-President of Boeing Ms Mary Monica said: "The PAC can now work as a team member of the company and can also compete for future works." She said the PAC would be a member of Boeing's global supply chain and can provide quality parts at competitive prices.

Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz was accompanied by the Minister for Defence Rao Sikandar, Minister of State for Defence Habibullah Warraich, Minister for Defence Productions, Minister of State for Defence Zahid Hamid and Minister of State for Environment Amin Aslam Khan.

Earlier, Chief of the Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal Kaleem Saadat received the Prime Minister at the Minhas Air Base. He was briefed about the working and expansion plans of the PAC Kamra by the Chairman of PAC Board Air Marshal Aurangzeb.

The premier also witnessed the agreement signing ceremony for the manufacture of parts for Boeing by the Pakistan Aeronautical Complex.