Pakistan exporters demand revival of textile sector

The roundtable conference on Pakistan’s largest industrial sector’s revival held under the chair of Vice President FPCCI Gulzar Firoz on Thursday, has formulated recommendations to increase textile exports for the PML-N government to make part of policy decisions in the early days of its tenure.

Firoz while announcing the recommendations said that the Nawaz Sharif government would be strongly suggested to lobby in the European Union and USA to extend Pakistan additional market access and allow GSP Plus. He said that on request to the exporters DTRE (duty and tax remission on exports) and DLTL (drawbacks on local taxes and levies) laws should be reframed, textile ministry should not be abolished but if necessary a strong textile division should be established, commercial counselors should be trained at FPCCI before their posting broad and their performance report must be sent to the FPCCI every month.

He said that zero-rating on five sectors of exports must remain continued. Gulzar Firoz said that security and energy issues were being faced by all the industrial sectors in Pakistan and the new government should resolve these issues on a priority basis for economic growth.

Mirza Ikhtiar Baig, leading textile exporter and former advisor to prime minister on textile, said that Pakistan was manufacturing all the world’s top brands. He said that this sector should be provided a conducive-environment as the cost of manufacturing was rising by 25 percent in wages alone.

Baig said that Pakistani textile products had better prospects considering the trade with India. He suggested that the textile ministry should be continued under the new setup or at least be made part of a ministry headed by a federal secretary.

Baig said that there should be no further tax burden on this sector and the government should impose further taxes on those people who were not under the tax net. Dawood Jhakura, former FPCCI vice president, said that due to security concerns foreign buyers of readymade garments were reluctant to place fresh orders. He said that continuous protest calls by different political parties had not only damaged the image of the country, but also hampered production activities.

He highlighted that recently Bangladesh had received notices regarding labour laws, which would jeopardise its US GSP plus status. He urged the government to revisit the labour laws to avoid such notices. A representative of towel, bed sheet and garment industries said that the government needs to prioritise to save the remaining industry.