PSDF, Generation launch partnership

 LAHORE (PR): Punjab Skills Development Fund (PSDF) and Generation have joined forces to address the challenges facing young people who are seeking to connect with the job market. Together, the two leading organizations will bring a proven, innovative model—the Generation program—to Pakistan. The partnership would launch a joint program in Lahore, expanding to addition allocations in the future, to reach 2,500 young adults with the Generation program during the pilot phase. The organizations are currently evaluating the sectors and professions to target, including garments industry, healthcare, financial services, customer service, and digital jobs. The new program will seek to partner with local and national employers in the target sectors to identify job vacancies and deliver great talent. The new program in Lahore will launch officially in the second quarter of the year.  “PSDF has developed a strong reputation for delivering skills programs guided by evidence on what works.

We are now partnering with Generation, a world-renowned nonprofit, to incorporate proven international experience into our training programs to raise productivity of firms across Punjab,” said Dr. IjazNabi, Chairman PSDF.

“Generation is successfully delivering skilled graduates for employers in countries across four continents. PSDF is delivering innovative solutions to maximize income generation results for its graduates. It is this shared purpose and mindset of our two organizations that brings us together. PSDF brings Generation to Pakistan. This partnership will ensure that PSDF-funded programs and its graduates benefit from the globally proven methodology and tools used by Generation around the world,” said Jawad Khan, CEO PSDF.

“This is an exciting start to the year for Generation, expanding from our original five countries into new geographies,” said Mona Mourshed, President and CEO of Generation. “We’re honored to be working with an organization as respected and innovativeas PSDF to bring Generation’s proven approach to Pakistan for the first time.”

Private sector urged to focus on innovation-led productivity

ISLAMABAD (INP): Dr Santhi Kanoktanaporn, secretary general Asian Productivity Organization (APO) of Japan, has called upon the private sector of Pakistan to focus on innovation-led productivity in order to improve trade and exports. He said this while exchanging views with business community at ICCI. Dr Santhi Kanoktanaporn said that in the current highly competitive business environment, only those organizations could excel that focused on innovation-led productivity while the manufacturers stuck up with obsolete technology and methods of production just evaporated. He stressed that all organizations in Pakistan should develop business models with future foresight to achieve sustainable growth. Dilating upon the role of his organization, he said that APO was representing 20 economies of Asia and Pacific and it was working in collaboration with National Productivity Organizations (NPOs) of member countries to promote the efficiency and productivity of private sectors for sustainable socioeconomic development.

He said SMEs played key role in the economic development of any country and APO was working to further strengthen the NPOs of member countries to promote SME sector. He assured that APO in collaboration with NPO Pakistan and Chambers would continue to work for promoting innovation-led growth in Pakistan.

Abdul Ghaffar Khattak, Chief Executive Officer, National Productivity Organization of Pakistan said that Pakistani manufacturers should focus on improving the quality and standard of their products to achieve better growth. He said NPO in liaison with ICCI would continue to work for promoting concepts of resource efficiency and smart manufacturing in SMEs of the region for improving the quality and performance of their products. He assured that ICCI proposal for its representation in NPO BoD would be given due consideration.

Second phase of Pak-China FTA to be signed by mid of coming March

ISLAMABAD (NNI): Second phase of free trade agreement (FTA) between Pakistan and China would be signed by mid of coming March to increase the trade between two countries. During next month, the Chinese vice minister will visit Islamabad along with his delegation for signing the amended FTA between Pakistan and China, senior official of Ministry of Commerce and textile told state-run media on Wednesday. He said that after intense negotiations with Pakistani delegation led by Federal Secretary for Commerce, Muhmmad Younas Dhaga, the Chinese side agreed to accommodate Pakistan’s demands in the Pak-China FTA. Replying to a question, he said that these negotiations were started in 2012 to finalize the revised version of China Pakistan FTA. He said that Chinese side also agreed on electronic data exchange which would help rescuing the chances of under invoicing, another major concern of Pakistani industry.

Replying to another question, he said that in the upcoming Strategic Trade Policy Framework (STPF) 2018-23 , Ministry of Commerce was devising the long, medium and short term trade policy for the period of five years so that trade could benefit from the incentives announced in STPF 2018-23.

The major focus of STPF would boost exports in the technology and services sector, competitiveness and investment linkages, particularly attraction of FDI in the export related Industry and integration of local industry into global value chain.

He suggested all the stakeholders for their concrete proposals based upon proper research of markets and data, for their consideration by Ministry of Commerce and incorporation of the same in the upcoming STPF.

Replying to another question, he said country’s exports increased in last three months and were expected to reach at $ 23 billion in coming months.

Farmers urged to purchase certified cotton seeds only

MULTAN (APP): The Punjab Agriculture Department Tuesday urged farmers to purchase only certified cotton seeds for a bumper production. The farmers should avoid purchasing illegal double or triple genes seeds. Similarly, they should also not buy seeds without tag of federal seed certification and registration department. According to agriculture information department, the blue colour tag contained information about the seeds. The government has not approved triple gene variety. Farmers should always focus on recommended certified seeds only. They should also seek receipts from the seed dealers while purchasing the seeds. Assistant Director Information Naveed said that the government had imposed a ban on early sowing of cotton crop. The cotton sown before first of April would be destroyed. The ban has been imposed to avoid attack of pink bollworms on cotton crop.