ISLAMABAD, March 29: The government on Monday approved allocation of Rs40.97 million from the Export Development Fund (EDF) for initiating three projects during the current year.

The projects were approved in the 32nd meeting of the Board of Administrators of the EDF headed by its chairman Commerce Minister Humayun Akhtar Khan here.

According to an official announcement, the board approved Rs6.35 million for the establishment of apple treatment plant at Quetta. The board also approved meeting of the operational deficits of the plant for the first five years of its operation to ensure sustainability of the project.

The Pakistan Horticulture Development and Export Board (PHDEB) was given go-ahead to proceed with the formation of a company and implementation of the project.

It was also decided that the project for operationalization of the date processing plant lying closed in Turbat, Balochistan, might be resubmitted to the board after further study. It was decided that the PHDEB would study the possibility of setting up a collection point for fruits and vegetables in Khuzdar, Balochistan.

The board also approved financing of $211,000 (Rs12.12 million) for implementation of the industrial cluster development programme being implemented in five existing clusters in collaboration with the UNIDO.

It was agreed that an MoU would be signed with the UNIDO for extension of the cluster development programme to include seven new industrial clusters announced in the trade policy 2003-04.

Financing of Rs22.5 million was approved for the establishment of textile testing laboratory in Faisalabad sponsored by the All Pakistan Cloth Exporters Association (APCEA). The laboratory would get ISO certification within two years of its coming into operation, the announcement added.