SIALKOT: The government is making all-out efforts to boost industrial production by bringing in modern manufacturing and production technologies and developing industries on modern lines, said Federal Minister for Industries and Production Ghulam Murtaza Khan Jatoi on Thursday.

Addressing the inaugural ceremony of the Sports Industries Development Centre (SIDC) near Motra-Daska here, the minister said the government was committed to ensuring strong industrial growth and removing all hurdles.

The federal government has spent Rs500 million on the SIDC under the supervision of Small and Medium Enterprises Development Authority (Smeda).

The facility has a installed capacity of producing one million footballs per year on a single shift basis.

On the occasion, the federal minister highlighted the pivotal role played by Smeda in the promotion and development of SMEs.

The federal minister termed the SIDC a blessing for Sialkot-based sports goods industry.

“The SIDC would be helpful in modernising the sports goods industry, besides ensuring easy access of the SMEs to advanced footballs manufacturing technologies which will help increase exports,” he added.

CEO Smeda Sher Ayub Khan said the SIDC will allow Sialkot-based sports good industry to flourish on modern lines and enable exporters to meet global trends and challenges of football manufacturing.

Project Director SIDC Hanif Sarwar said the centre aims to provide technical knowhow, trained labor force, prototype development, mold making services, IPR facilitation and manufacturing of mechanised inflatable balls for SMEs.

This will help the sector embrace new technologies with minimal hiccups and maintain its present share in international trade of inflatable balls, he added.

Published in Dawn, March 2nd, 2018