Industries Ministry demands Rs 5,366.914 m for 35 projects under PSDP

ISLAMABAD, Mar 5 (APP):The Ministry of Industries and Production has demanded Rs 5,366.914 million for 35 different ongoing and new unapproved and approved development projects under the Public Sector Development Programme 2019-20.
Briefing the National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Industries and Production here on Tuesday, Secretary Industries Azher Ali Chaudhry said the the total cost of all the 35 projects was Rs 5,366.914 million, out of which Rs 1,850.467 million was expected to be spent by June 2019.
The meeting was chaired by Said Hussian Turi here at the Parliament House.
The ministry had proposed different projects for development of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), technology up-gradation and Skill Development Company, Pakistan Machine Tool Factory and food processing projects in the country.
Sajid Hussian Turi said the proposed schemes in PSDP- 2019-20 should be productive.
The senior ministry official informed the committee that Fruit Dehydration Unit Swat, Fruit, Vegetables and Condiments Processing Centre in Sindh, and Peshawar Light Engineering Development Programme for SMEs were ongoing schemes.
The secretary said the development portfolio of the Ministry of Industries and Production was Rs 3.789 billion, while total allocation made for its development projects during the fiscal year 2018-19 was Rs 769.999.
The official said the development projects being implemented, included skill development, common training facilities and common machinery pools, transfer of technology, increasing efficiency and improving productivity and value addition, and diversification of products.
He said for the PSDP 2019-20, the executing agencies including Small and Medium Enterprises Development Authority (SMEDA), Technology Up-gradation Skill Development Company (TUSDEC), Export Processing Zones Authority (EPRA), Pakistan Industrial Technical Assistance Centre (PITAC) and Agro Food Processing Facility (AFP) had furnished their demand for funds allocation of their 35 development projects.
Managing Director of Utility Stores Corporation (USC) Mushtaq Ahmed briefed the meeting about his organization, including its financial liabilities.
Members of the National Assembly Muhammad Riaz, Andleeb Abbas, Shandana Gulzar Khan, Syed Mustafa Mahmud, Syed Mobeen Ahmed, Ms Sajida Begum and Ms Aliya Hamza Malik attended the meeting.