March 23, 2006	Thursday	Safar 22, 1427

ISLAMABAD, March 22: The Board of Administrators of Export Development Fund (EDF) on Wednesday approved Rs19.9 million for providing training to workers of garment industry. Presiding over the board meeting Commerce Minister Humayun Akhtar Khan also ordered prompt release of the amount to implement the initiative under the trade policy 2004-05.

The meeting was informed that the workers would be imparted training within the factory premises for which Textile Garment Skill Development Board had already been established.

The idea was to have such training programme affiliated with reputable international certification institutions. The project would involve training of thousand of workers.

The current approval would set into motion the process and 1,800 workers would be trained in this phase. This step would help workers in upgrading their skills and substantial contribution to export promotion of textile garments.

The board also reviewed progress regarding establishment of Display Centre in Sharjah.

The board granted permission to the Export Promotion Bureau (EPB) for placing advertisement in the national as well as UAE print media for inviting expressions of interest from private companies for construction of the project on public-private partnership basis.