RAWALPINDI, Dec 14: The Skill Development Council has finalised the roadmap for improving competitiveness of small and medium industries of the country with the objective of cost reduction techniques and profit maximisation.

The council’s chief executive officer (CEO), Saquib Mohyuddin, announced in Islamabad on Sunday that the small and medium enterprises (SMEs) were in a position to meet the challenge of present economic crunch by adopting modern cost reduction tools. The roadmap has been prepared after extensive consultations with all stakeholders, he added.

Spelling out the details, Mr Mohyuddin said a series of training courses would be conducted on the doorstep of stakeholders so that a greater number of staff of SMEs could benefit from the new innovations.

The second training course on cost reduction will be held in Gujranwala from December 23-24 in collaboration with the Gujranwala Chamber of Commerce and Industries (GCCI).

“This speaks of the importance given to the roadmap by the professional bodies”, the CEO said, adding that Gujranwala was the hub of SMEs, covering a range of industries and the training course would not only benefit the local industry but also the surrounding areas, including Sialkot, Gujrat and Wazirabad.

The council has already made an assessment and found great potential of training to the staff and workers of industries in this important part of the Punjab province.

The first training course of the series has already been conducted in Islamabad last month which was attended by over two dozen officers of the local and surrounding industries. The third and last course of this series will be held in Karachi on January 2 to 3.