British HC to launch £5m programme to facilitate pharma, IT sectors

FAISALABAD: The British High Commission will launch a five-year programme with funding of £5 million to provide training and facilitate pharmaceutical and IT sectors to improve the quality of their surplus in order to export their products to the UK, said Fabian Hartwell, Regional Trade & Development Advisor, British High Commission, Islamabad.

Addressing the representatives of IT and pharmaceutical sectors in Faisalabad Chamber of Commerce & Industry (FCCI), he said that it is his duty to promote trade between South Asian countries and the UK. He was convinced by the IT skills of Pakistani youth and said that they must be encouraged to start their new businesses by providing them proper guidance in the relevant fields.

He also stressed the need to ensure close liaison between Pakistani startups and British companies so that both could harvest the dividends of business growth. About the pharmaceutical sector, he said that a strict quality regime is required to export medicines to the UK and in this connection, we could arrange training sessions for the staff of the pharmaceutical companies. He also inquired about the challenges faced by the IT and pharmaceutical sectors in the prevailing circumstances and assured that the British High Commission would try to resolve the same.

Earlier President FCCI Rehan Naseem Bharara welcomed Fabian Hartwell and introduced Faisalabad and FCCI. He said that textile is the iconic representation of this city but now its industrial portfolio has been diversified with the establishment of state-of-the-art tiles, car assembling, mobile phones, tin pack, pharmaceutical, foundry, fibre and socks industries.

About the IT sector, he said that 65% Pakistani youth is fully prepared to embrace the global challenges and we must avail from their skills and innovative approaches. The participants also shared their problems and challenges and said that training of pharmaceutical staff is imperative to upgrade the quality of products.

They also requested Mr. Fabian Hartwell to share the blueprints of the proposed five-year plan so that they could give practical and workable suggestions within its framework. Later President Rehan Naseem Bharara presented FCCI shield to Fabian Hartwell. He also decorated the British Advisor with a special pin to mark the Golden Jubilee of FCCI.