The administrators of Export Development Fund (EDF) approved a project for the establishment of Tannery Zone at Sialkot for Climate Change Adaptation, through relocation of tanneries in the leather industrial zone. The project is being implemented under the supervision of Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Punjab with the technical and financial assistance of United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO).
Esam Alqararah the Country Representative UNIDO to Pakistan disclosed that the Project will provide a range of technical cooperation services to assist Pakistan adding value to the output of leather sector, during the implementation of the project the new initiative will be facilitating the town of Sialkot tannery relocation, around 230 tanneries are currently located in 10 different clusters, scattered all around Sialkot and suburbs. These scattered tanneries are unable to meet the international standards which are becoming more and more stringent with the passage time. Meeting the international standards needs proper infrastructure which is not possible to be extended to each tannery in scattered locations all around the city. The foremost and critical requirement for international trade and exporting leather goods is the environmental and social compliance.
The project is being executed in Public Private Partnership. For representation of the private sector, a non-profit company by the name of Sialkot Tannery Association (Guarantee) Limited was incorporated. The STAGL was established under companies’ act 1984 on 24/06/2004.
The project would help in shifting of tanneries located in and around the city to a centralized location to provide various facilities like Common Effluent Treatment Plant, Solid Waste Disposal Site and Common Effluent Collection System. Part of the project will be also preparation of plans, recommendations for green belt around new tannery zone, transport system for workers, housing etc. This would help in effective control of environmental hazards caused by the tanning industry in the region. It is an immensely important project for the leather industry and would be instrumental in growth of this sector and promotion of leather products exports.
Source: UNIC, Islamabad.
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