ISLAMABAD: Defence Production Minister Rana Tanveer Hussain on Wednesday underlined the need of setting up a company to promote exports of the defence products in a more efficient manner.
While responding to a suggestion of MNA Shehryar Afridi in a meeting of the National Assembly Standing Committee on Defence Production Hussain said, “Although regular exhibitions of defence products are being held at different levels, but we should create our own company having professional experts for effective marketing of the products.”
The meeting was chaired by Khawaja Sohail Mansoor and attended by MNAs Muhammad Khan Daha, Dr Ramesh Kumar Vankwani, Chaudhry Hamid
Hameed, Muhammad Moeen Wattoo, Sardar Muhammad Amjad Farooq Khan Khosa, Bhawan Das, Amra Khan, Muhammad Qasim Noon, Iffat Liaqat, Shehryar Afridi, Ayesha Gulalai, Asiya Nasir and Bilal Rehman, besides Defence Production Secretary Lt Gen (r) Syed Muhammad, Military Vehicles Research Development Establishment (MVRDE) director general Major General Muazzam Ali.
Shehryar Afridi suggested that every defence production unit should have its own export promotion team so that each and every product could be introduced in the world markets under an improved mechanism. He said, “The country has much potential and it
can do wonders in the field but there is a need of tapping it.”
The minister said that the defence production departments had their own arrangements for showcasing their products in different exhibitions at national and international level.
He said the country’s defence exports had witnessed significant increase during last three years, when the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) government came into power in 2013.The Karachi Shipyard Engineering and Works (KSEW) and Heavy Industries Taxila (HIT) were going in loss but now they had been rising as profit earning entities, he added.
He said Pakistan is considered a good competitor in international market due to quality of the defence products being developed indigenously. The chairman said that he visited various defence production units and witnessed the efficient working in full capacity to meet needs of the armed forces, as the country is in the state of war.
He recommended that there should be an industrial zone for defence products to utilise the potential of skilled labour of Darra Adam Khel.
Earlier, Military Vehicles Research and Development Establishment (MVRDE) director general Major General Muazzam Ali briefed the committee about the organisation currently producing 128 different items for the army, air force and navy in collaboration with the private sectors.
He said the organisation had developed over 300 equipments of various categories, which helped in reducing foreign dependence.
The DG said that the organisation has evolved over the years, starting with the development of Armoured Vehicles Launched Bridges (AVLBs) in 1970 and general service equipment pertaining to try services including bridges, boats, track ways, fuel and water bowsers till 2000.
“MVRDE has progressed to develop state-of-the-art equipment like simulators and auxiliary power units (APUs) besides expanding the scope of activities to include equipment for Pakistan Air Force, Pakistan Navy and projects related to training equipment”, he said.
He further said that a variety of logistics like chiller van, K-loader and equipments like Rocket Delivered Mine System, Mine Dispensing System and bridging equipment were under evolution. The DG underlined the need for strengthening MVRDE with highly qualified engineers, besides replacing the old equipment and upgrading the existing infrastructure.
While answering to a query of NA Standing Committee Chairman Khawaja Sohail Mansoor, the DG said that presently 20 intern engineers are working with the organisation under a specialised training system for their professional grooming.
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