May 22, 2008	Thursday	Jamadi-ul-Awwal 16, 1429

ISLAMABAD, May 21: The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) on Wednesday marked the closing of its four-year $11.3 million Pakistan Initiative for Strategic Development and Competitiveness project (PISDAC) after registering what it called significant achievements.

To mark this event, USAID-PISDAC organised a daylong conference on “Sharing best practices and lessons learnt for creating value together”.

Dr Warren Weinstein, chief of Party, JE Austin, Kevin Murphy, president and CEO JE Austin and acting director USAID Edward Birgells also spoke on the occasion.

The ceremony was attended by manufacturers, exporters, academics, and others that had participated in the project.

Strategy working groups focused on sectors, including gems and jewellery, marble and granite, dairy, furniture, surgical instruments and medical devices, and horticulture.

Kevin Murphy, on the occasion, provided an overview of a framework for building national competitiveness, which represents the latest thinking, followed by how PISDAC projects fit into this overall framework. Speaking on the occasion Edward Birgells said that providing economic opportunities for all Pakistanis was fundamental in building a solid and sustainable foundation for continued economic growth, prosperity, and peace.

“Business leaders working through the USAID-PISDAC programme have already made significant achievements by working with each other to improve their products, increase their exports, and develop a more qualified workforce,” he remarked.