Netherlands to support local engineering industry, train exporters

Centre for Promotion of Imports from Developing Countries (CBI), Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Netherlands will provide training to exporters and support local engineering industries to enhance Pakistan’s exports to European Union (EU) countries.
The Engineering Development Board (EDB) and the CBI, in this regard have signed a partnership agreement to support private and public sector exports from the country. EDB Chief Executive Officer Qazi Ebadullah Khan and Ambassador of the
Netherlands to Pakistan Hugo Gajus Scheltema signed the agreement on behalf of their respective countries. The purpose of the partnership is to create economic prosperity through direct support to private and public export sectors and their intermediate support organisations in Pakistan. The partnership also aims at creating synergies between the two organisations for the benefit of their clients to promote bilateral trade between Pakistan and Netherlands.
Under the partnership agreement, local engineering industries of Pakistan will be supported by CBI in different fields including training of exporters. Speaking on the occasion, the EDB CEO said per the proposed terms,
CBI and EDB will collaborate in areas of mutual interest which include access to EU market information database along with participation in export coaching program and institutional development activities. He further said EDB has been playing the role of an effective bridge between the government and the private industrial sector of the country adding that Dutch Centre for Promotion of Imports from Developing Countries (CBI) is operating in 48 countries of the world in 25 sectors.
The common mission of the two organisations would be to contribute to trade-led development by strengthening the competitiveness of engineering companies of Pakistan and preparing them to become exporters to EU market, he added. He said the EDB will become the first Business Support Organisation (BSO) of the Government of Pakistan to formally become a partner with CBI of the Netherlands, which focuses on enhancing export competitiveness of local engineering industry through CBI’s Export Coaching and Market Research Programmes.
He further said EDB in its endeavours to perform its role as an effective BSO, has developed linkages with various international donors, developmental agencies and other international support organisations to channelise resources and expertise for hand holding and development of local engineering industry.