ISLAMABAD, Aug 17: The Board of Administrators of Export Development Fund (EDF) has approved Rs951.008 million for various ongoing projects and skill development institutes.

The funds were approved in a meeting headed by Commerce Minister Humayun Akhtar Khan. The participants of the meeting included Senator Dr Nighat Agha, Secretary Ministry of Textile Industry Syed Masood Alam Rizvi, Acting Secretary Commerce Syed Asif Shah and Chairman EPB Tariq Ikram.

The break up showed that the board approved Rs300m for Expo Centre Lahore and directed the EPB that the ground-breaking ceremony of the centre should be held at the earliest and make it operational by the end of 2006.

It also sanctioned Rs89 million for establishment of a Garment City at Faisalabad.

The board decided to upgrade the textile related universities/ institutes and approved Rs74.372 million for National Textile University, Faisalabad, Rs57.9, for SMA Rizvi Textile Institute, Karachi and Rs7.736, for Pakistan School of Fashion Design, Lahore.

The board also sanctioned additional Rs380 million for the General Freight Subsidy Scheme to clear the processed claims relating to 2004-05 pending with the National Bank of Pakistan.

It approved Rs42m for purchase of Quilting Machines for installation at Karachi and Sialkot leather garments manufacturing units to improve the quality of Pakistani leather garments.