KARACHI, June 30: State Engineering Corporation (SEC) and Ministry of Economic Development Azerbaijan last week signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to avail the capabilities of Pakistan’s engineering industry for its industrial projects and boost the production capacity of state engineering enterprises.

Under the MoU, the Azerbaijan Ministry has agreed to consider proposals to set up a cement plant with a production capacity of 2,000 tons per day, rehabilitation of small hydel power plants and construction of hydel power plants to be located on irrigation canals and rivers.

Other projects included refurbishment of transformers in Azerbaijan, proposal for joint venture for production of power and distribution transformers of the types being manufactured in Pakistan and Azerbaijan, proposal for sugar plant based on sugarcane technology and from its bye-products alcohol and chip board plants, proposal for enamelled copper wire manufacturing facility, technical cooperation in the field of oil exploration and manufacturing a glass bottling plant.

The chairman, SEC, Mian Sohail Aslam informed the federal minister for Industries and Production, Liaquat Ali Khan Jatoi at the PIDC House about the salient features of the MoU.

The Minister said the MoU would promote cooperation between the two countries.

About the BMR scheme in the Pakistan Machine Tool Factory (PMTF), the minister was informed that implementation of the scheme was in progress to manufacture die cast components of motorcycles, to prepare new products of tractors like rig gears and for upgradation of machine rebuild shop. The implementation of BMR scheme which was expected to be completed in 2003-2004 would turn the PMTF into a profitable organization.