RAWALPINDI, Aug 18: The Pakistan Software Export Board (PSEB) has launched a Rs30 million project for the automation of 100 manufacturing units, an official said on Monday.

Speaking at a presentation at the Rawalpindi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (RCCI), an official said the project would be completed in two phases by June 2004.

He said these units were being automated in management, reporting, finance, administration sections and in e-commerce applications to improve their productivity.

“The automation of the industrial units would help reduce cost of production, maintain records, improve decision making, reduce operational pilferage besides enhancing their efficiency,” the official said.

The small and medium enterprises in agriculture, textile, surgical, cutlery, gems, jewellry, leather, marble, chemicals, pharmaceutical and chemical sectors are being covered in the project.

Speaking on the occasion, the RCCI president Osman Khalid Waheed regretted that despite having enormous potential, the software export sector had not been fully yielding.

He said it was particularly disturbing to note that the government had allocated less amount for this sector. Pakistan, he said, would be spending, less that one billion dollars this year on this sector, while India plans to spend more than 10 billion dollars.

He appreciated the automation plan for SMEs and said such enterprises were back bone of country’s economy.

He called upon the government to strengthen this sector by providing maximum incentives.