Cutlery Industry: UN organisation to invest Rs1.5 billion

Hana says UNIDO would provide financial and technical assistance to the help modernise the industry.

SIALKOT: United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) will invest Rs1.5 billion in Sialkot’s cutlery industry. It was stated by a UNIDO official during a meeting with cutlery instruments’ manufacturers and exporters. Shaun Hana, the UNIDO team head, earlier visited several cutlery manufacturing units in Sialkot and Wazirabad.

Talking to the media, Hana said that the UNIDO would provide financial and technical assistance to the help modernise the industry. He assured the manufacturers of providing easy access to the European Union (EU) markets. He suggested the manufacturers to diversify their production, adding that they should upgrade and start manufacturing non-traditional export items in order to gain access to international markets.

Muhammad Khalid Mughal, a leading cutlery manufacturer, told the UNIDO delegation that industry was producing three main cutlery items (draggers, swords and kitchen items). At present, he said, the export of other kitchen items was relatively low. The most popular items were knives and daggers, he added. Both sides agreed that there was great scope of growth in the sector.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 7^th, 2010.