LAHORE - A 12-member delegation of International Labour and Trade Unions called on Provincial Industries and Commerce Minister Chaudhry Shafay Hussain at a local hotel on Sunday.
The delegation was headed by Shoya Yoshida, General Secretary of the International Trade Union Confederation, Asia-Pacific, Singapore. During the meeting, mutual cooperation was agreed upon for the preparation of skilled manpower and the promotion of technical education. The possibilities of trade with various countries were also reviewed. The minister briefed the delegation about the investment opportunities and the measures taken to promote technical education.
He stated that special incentives are available for investors in Punjab’s Special Economic Zones (SEZs) including a 10-year income tax exemption and a one-time duty-free machinery import facility. He shared that 19 Centres of Excellence are being established in different cities by TEVTA with the support of the Asian Development Bank. A Garment City is being developed on 630 acres in Sheikhupura, where the government would build industrial unit structures and offer them to investors on rent. The minister highlighted the ongoing improvements in industrial infrastructure and the upgradation of TEVTA institutions. He also shared that Punjab’s Skill Development Policy 2024 has been submitted for cabinet approval. He added that solar study programmes have been introduced in TEVTA institutions for the first time. Additionally, several Chinese companies have expressed interest in investing in Punjab.
Ch Shafay Hussain emphasised that promoting solar energy and electric vehicles is the Punjab government’s top priority. The delegation expressed its commitment to working with Punjab to promote mutual trade and technical education. The delegation included Mr Laxman Basnet, General Secretary of the South Asian Trade Union Confederation from Nepal; Mr Geir Tonstol, Country Director of the International Labour Organisation in Pakistan; Mr Eugenio Mozarelli, Country Manager of the Italian Trade Union Cooperation Agency from Rome, Italy; and Mr Imad Ashraf, Country Head of the American Solidarity Center in Pakistan. Other members included Malik Tahir Javed, President of the Employees Federation of Pakistan and Ch. Naseem Iqbal, President of the Pakistan Workers Federation.