Minister of Industry's Visit to Hebron: Signing Agreements and Inspecting Local Industrial Sectors
Minister of Industry’s Visit to Hebron: Signing Agreements and Inspecting Local Industrial Sectors
Hebron – As part of the government’s continuous efforts to maintain communication with the governorates and regularly meet with factories to provide support and backing wherever they are located, and under the directives of Prime Minister Dr. Mohammad Mustafa, the Minister of Industry, Mr. Arafat Asfour, made an official visit to Hebron Governorate. His Excellency headed a delegation from the Ministry of Industry, accompanied by the General Manager of the Palestinian Standards and Metrology Institution, Engineer Haider Hajja, and the institution’s office manager in the governorate, Engineer Ibrahim Jabareen.
Date: 13/08/2024
Minister Asfour and the accompanying delegation began their visit by signing a cooperation agreement with Hebron University, aimed at developing the relationship between the institution and the university in ways that serve mutual interests and contribute to supporting the local community. The minister praised the university’s excellence and its national, societal, and academic role, expressing his happiness at signing the memorandum of understanding, which aligns with the Standards Institution’s strategy to enhance cooperation with various governmental, civil, academic, and community institutions to unite national efforts in spreading a culture of quality, making it a national responsibility, and developing testing capabilities, especially in agricultural products and animal feed.
After the agreement signing, Minister Asfour and the delegation visited Royal Shoe Factory, where they reviewed production operations and listened to the challenges facing the shoe industry under current conditions. The minister affirmed the government’s commitment to supporting this vital industry, praising the quality of Palestinian products that seriously compete with imported goods and enjoy the trust of Palestinian consumers.
The tour also included a visit to the Footwear and Leather Testing Laboratory, where the delegation observed the workflow and testing conducted by the Standards Institution. Engineer Hajja emphasized the lab’s important role in ensuring the quality of local products and contributing to raising the competitiveness of national industries.
At the conclusion of the visit, Minister Asfour met with the General Federation of Palestinian Industries, the Leather Industries Union, and the Hebron Chamber of Commerce and Industry, where he listened to the challenges and problems facing the industrial sector, especially the footwear and leather industries in the governorate. The minister pointed out that Palestinian industries face many obstacles, mostly due to the occupation and its strict measures aimed at undermining attempts to develop the industrial sector and especially strategic industries.
The minister added: “Palestinian products enjoy high quality that enables them to seriously compete with imported goods and gain the trust of the Palestinian consumer. The success of these industries in penetrating global markets represents an important milestone in the development of the Palestinian national industry.”
Minister Asfour concluded his visit with a tour of the “Hebron Work” footwear exhibition, expressing admiration for the quality of the products on display, and stressing the importance of cooperation and coordination with relevant bodies to maximize the benefits of the Standards Institution’s activities, which play a sensitive and highly valuable role in developing the national economy, protecting consumers, and enhancing the competitiveness of Palestinian products.