ISLAMABAD, Nov 11: Pakistan National Accreditation Council (PNAC) and Comsats Institute of Information Technology (CIIT) signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the aim to advance industrial and human quality and productivity.

The main objective of signing the MoU was to establish working relationship between the PNAC and the CIIT to coordinate and organize joint training seminars and courses under "crash awareness raising and training programmes in the field of quality".

The MoU was signed here on Thursday between director-general, PNAC, Engr Abdul Rashid and Dr SM Zaidi of CIIT.

Minister for Science and Technology Nouraiz Shakoor and secretary of the ministry Khawaja Zaheer Ahmed were among the guests, who witnessed the signing ceremony that is also expected to enhance exports and accelerate economic development.

Under the MoU, both PNAC and the CIIT would coordinate with local trade and industry associations and chambers of commerce and industry to highlight their training needs and conduct seminars and courses to train the personnel.

The PNAC and the CIIT would also look into the possibility of holding joint national training workshops by employing greener and cleaner production methods with particular focus on enhancing exports and protecting environment.

The minister said the emerging World Trade Organization provided tremendous opportunities for business expansion for all enterprises determined to compete on sustainable basis. Those unable to do so would loose the market.

Performance of Pakistani industries would depend immensely on our ability to use these beneficial opportunities, including health and safety of the consumers and environment.

He added that as competition grew stronger under the WTO regime, demand for quality products and services, certified through a third party, which was internationally recognized under the accreditation system was highly demanded.

Pakistan's exports would depend on the industry's ability to respond to customer's requirements, evidence of compliance through accredited labs, he said.