ISLAMABAD, Sept 16: The government is planning to evolve a strategy to safeguard the interest of consumers, exporters as well as the government in the engineering sector.

This was stated by Federal Minister for Industries, Production and Special Initiatives Jahangir Khan Tareen while presiding over a meeting of the Engineering Development Board (EDB) here on Thursday.

Chairman of the EDB Dr Mohammad Akram Shaikh gave a presentation on the function and performance of the board on the occasion. The minister was informed that the EDB maintained consistency in policy-making with significance results in areas like import substitution, appreciable growth in engineering goods and export of new products.

The country has achieved 78 per cent indigenization level for transformers, 100 per cent for fans, 60 per cent for power plants, 60 per cent for refineries, 78 per cent for sugar plants, 75 per cent for boilers, 100 per cent for transmission towers, 65 per cent for tea leaves processing, 30 to 40 per cent for cement plants, 75-100 per cent for domestic appliances, and 80-100 per cent for electrical capital goods, he added.

In auto sector, the country has achieved 56-70 per cent deletion level for cars, 83-88 per cent for motorcycles, 47-88 per cent for tractors, 42-67 per cent for trucks and buses, he said.

The minister directed the EDB to expedite the indigenization process for the sector which would help people get engineering goods at affordable rates and make the country exporter in the sector. Secretary industries and production Dr Mutawakkil Qazi, members of the EDB and officials of the ministry also attended the meeting.