KARACHI, June 20: The Provincial Minster for Transport, Labour, Trade and Industries, Mohammad Adil Siddiqui, on Monday said multi-purpose complexes would be established in the city for providing vocational and industrial training to women workers. Talking to a delegation of women industrialists belonging to small and medium sized industries, he said women workers were playing their role in economic struggle to support their families.

The minister said that if they were provided with more support and better economic facilities at the government level they could play more effective role in the economic development of the country.

“A five-member board of directors is being set up for the provision of economic facilities to working women, which will establish multi-purpose complex for them, and take care of cottage industries “, he said.

The board members will include Fatima Surraiya Bajia, Shamim Kazmi, Samina Ahmed and President First Women Bank Zarin Ghazal.

He said multi-purpose complexes would be set up in Landhi, Korangi and New Karachi for SME women and made it clear that boutiques and dress designers would not come under the category of cottage industry.

Mr Siddiqui said that measures were being taken for the provision of loans on easy terms to the SME women workers by the First Women Bank.

He said that the board would assist the SME women workers in banking and taxation matters and would be provided gas, electricity and petroleum products on cheaper rates. — PPI