The British High Commissioner in Bangladesh. -Peter Fowler yesterday said a further phase of support should be agreed shortly to expand the coverage of the Training and Internal Consultancy (TIC) programme through partnership with a Bangladeshi training institute, reports BSS.

He stressed the importance of the manufacturing sector to the country's future .growth prospects and the role thart would be played by market based reform as well as the need to upgrade management skills and efficiency, a High Commission press release said.

The High Commissioner was inaugurating a high level seminar on the TIC project at the Bangladesh Chemical Industries Corporation (BCIC)

auditorium here.

The project is funded by the British government s Overseas Development Administration (OI?A) and has been continuing for the last five years in Bangladesh under the aegis of the Brjtish Council.

TIC is aimed at bringing about improvements in the financial performance of industrial enterprises through management training, followed by the development and implementation of efficiency improvement programmes within the. enterprises. This approach has proven successful in achieving profitability improvements oy the participating companies. The beneficiaries have been the public sector manufacturing enterprises of BC1C. Bangladesh Sugar and

Food Industries Corporation (BSF1C) and Bangladesh Steel and Engineering Corporation (BSEC). and private sector enterprise Beximco pharmaceuticals from this year. Apex Tannery and Prime Textiles have also been included in the programme.

A K Adhikari. Additional Secretary of the Ministry of Industries, speaking at the seminar drew attention to the demonstrated success of the TIC project and welcomed the High Commissioner’s pledge of support.

Senior officials of the ministry of industries, chairmen of public sector corporations, representatives of 'donor agencies and the trainees from the participating enterprises attended the seminar.