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Meetings on AHAN projects

LAHORE: Jahangir Khan Tareen, Federal Minister of Industries, Production and Special Initiatives, has scheduled a series of meetings at Bahawalpur, Karachi and Multan to finalize the pilot projects for AHAN (Aik Hunar, Aik Nagar), a programme undertaken by the Small and Medium Enterprise Development Authority (SMEDA) on the prime minister’s directive.

Mr Tareen held a meeting at the SMEDA head office on Thursday to review the work done so far on the project. He fixed a schedule of urgent meetings to conclude recommendations of the design cells for textiles, silverware and blue pttery. As per his advice, the first meeting would be held at Bahawalpur on Silverware on Dec 13 and a second meeting would take place at Karachi on Dec 15 on textile items. The third meeting is scheduled at Multan on Dec 22 to review the recommendations on the development of blue pottery. Mr Tareen will attend all these meetings.

Replying to a question regarding funding for AHAN, the minister said the Asian Development Bank (ADB) had assured of financing the project. However, the necessary expenditures at present were being met out of SMEDA’s budget, he added. He further informed that the SMEDA chief would be leaving for Manila the next week to conclude funding arrangements with the ADB for AHAN. Answering a question about Pakistan-India trade relations, Mr Tareen said trade relations with India would be on the equal terms, and no initiative contrary to national interest would be taken in this respect. The minister also reviewed a report compiled by SMEDA on the occasion for economic revival of the SMEs in earthquake-affected areas. He advised SMEDA to set up its offices in Muzaffarabad and Mansehra to help the revival of the SMEs.

Earlier, Shahab Khawaja, Chief Executive Officer of SMEDA, giving an overview of the AHAN project, said an AHAN cell, manned by two managers, had been set up at SMEDA. He added the cell would be strengthened. staff report

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