March 22, 2007	Thursday	Rabi-ul-Awwal 2, 1428

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FAISALABAD, March 21: The University of Agriculture syndicate approved on Wednesday Rs1,271 million budget for the financial year 2006-07. The syndicate met with vice-chancellor Dr Bashir Ahmad in the chair and earmarked Rs499 million for development projects.

Acting treasure presented the budget and the house unanimously approved it.

A sum of Rs772 million were set aside for non-development expenses. Last year, expenditures were Rs644 million and income Rs647 million.

Dr Ahmad said 21 MoUs were signed with national and international agencies for research and capacity building. The university awarded 64 PhD and 135 M Phil degrees last year.

He said seven eminent researchers from different countries joined the university while nine foreign professors have confirmed their joining shortly.

In total, 104 research projects, worth Rs275.822 million, were awarded to the university faculty by the HEC and other organisations. In addition 136 projects worth Rs277.423 million were submitted to different funding agencies, he added.

Trade officers: A delegation of trade officers (TO) working in different countries visited the city on Wednesday and held discussions with businessmen and exporters.

Group leader Muhammad Irfan said the government was doing its utmost to facilitate businessmen for augmenting exports. The task could not be achieved without enthusiastic collaboration of government officers and exporters.

“Efforts are also under way to explore new markets and various steps have already been taken in this regard,” he said.

Mr Irfan claimed that most of the trade officers posted abroad had a complete knowledge of trade-related problems and could also play their due role to remove such impediments. He said exporters would be provided with trade-related studies regularly.

Pakistan Textile Exporters Association (PTEA) chairman Mian Zahid Aslam apprised him of the problems being faced by exporters and said the textile sector was in a fix owing to competition in the wake of the WTO regime.

Textile exports registered an average decline of 11 per cent from July 2005 to October 2006, he said, adding that the sector requires immediate attention of the government.