SIALKOT, Sept 2: The National Institute for Competitiveness-Islamabad (NIC) and Pakistan Gloves Manufacturers and Exporters Association (PGMEA) have announced to establish first National Competitiveness Centre here in collaboration with Cleaner Production Center (CPC).

PGMEA Chairman Dr Shumail Saeed Barlas told newsmen the main purpose of establishing the centre was to coordinate competitiveness and benchmarking, besides training and research activities to help enhance the performance of industry, especially of medium and smaller units.

He said the centre would also determine the needs of local leather and gloves industry, focusing specific areas, including competitiveness, productivity and profitability through benchmarking activities

He said the NIC and CPC would work jointly to identify industries and sectors in need of Energy Efficiency Programmes under the Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Project. Most of the audits, surveys, seminars and courses would be launched by them.

He said an Energy Cell, specializing in conducting renewable energy and energy efficiency would be opened under the CPC.

Dr Barlas said under its Productivity Research for Industrial Systems Management programme, the NIC would undertake industrial research in collaboration with CPC.

He said the NIC and CPC would also work for the compliance and development of best practices for social standards to help ensure the competitiveness and sustainability of local industry. The NIC would design relevant training and capacity-building programmes to ensure corporate social responsibility and occupational health safety and environment standards.

The NIC, he said, would also facilitate the CPC in initiating programmes to enable micro and small entrepreneurs to contribute towards poverty reduction