GUJRANWALA, July 12 With the opening of a business centre in Gujranwala exports increased by 4 per cent in the last three months as a result of better interaction between the local manufacturers and the world buyers.

Gujranwala Business Center (GBC), a public-private joint venture, provides a platform to develop links between the customers and the city industries.

The city specialises in ceramics, sanitary fittings, utensils, plastic furniture and light engineering. The city boasts of 25 industrial sectors and 10,000 units.

The industrialists, however, have not been able to capitalise on their manufacturing edge owing to the city's poor infrastructure, absence of an export platform, lack of marketing, advertisement and brand development.

It is believed that the businessmen have not been able to cater to the needs of the potential international customers.

Pakistan has been importing utensil, home appliances, cutlery, solar energy systems and sanitary fitting, despite quality manufacturing of these items in Gujranwala because of weaknesses in the projection and marketing.

The business centre provides information to the domestic and international customers about the industries and their product lines. It also gives them a chance to see the samples displayed in stalls set up at the centre.

After the opening of the business centre world leading Macro, Metro and Hyper Star chain stores had contacted the industries for business deals.

Muhammad Ali, chairman GBC, told Dawn that Gujranwala was the only city of the country having more than 25 industrial sectors with huge potential and that was the reason it was chosen for the establishment of the first such centre, while the second such project was in the making in Sialkot city.

Muhammad Awais, the project director, told Dawn that during the first two month sixteen ambassadors, ten chief executives of companies and 14,000 businessmen visited the exhibitions held at the centre, which helped to increase exports from $750 million to $780 millions It is expected to cross $1,000 million mark in the near future.