LAHORE
\nThe value-added export-oriented textile industry should be given the top priority of the government, providing them maximum facilitation to meet their exports requirements. The government needs to establish long-term and sustainable policies in consultation with the real stakeholders to enhance exports, increasing foreign exchange earnings for the country.
\nPresently, the high cost of doing business has proved to be dangerous for the export-oriented apparel industry, as the ever-increasing energy, gas and power tariffs are the real threat to the economy amidst high markup rate and continuous fluctuations exchange rate.
\nThese views were expressed in an interactive session jointly organized by Pakistan Hosiery Manufacturers and Exporters Association (PHMA) and the Pakistan Readymade Garments Manufacturers and Exporters Association (PRGMEA) here at a local hotel to review the challenges faced by the exporters.
\nThe meeting was attended by PHMA North Zone Chairman Abdul Hameed, Dr. Khurram Anwar Khawaja, Shahzad Saleem Asghar, Ashar Khurram, Shahid Butt, Dr. Khurram Tariq from PHMA and Ijaz Khokhar, Sohail Sheikh, Dr Ayyazuddin, Sajid Saleem Minhas and Mubashar Naseer Butt from PRGMEA, besides the apparel industry\u2019s representatives from Lahore, Faisalabad and Sialkot.
\nThe participants of the meeting asked the government to take prompt measures to bring down the production costs for the export industry to enable them to compete in the international market.
\nPHMA North Zone Chairman Abdul Hameed said that the export industry is currently having difficulty to compete the global market because of rapid increase in production costs. He said that the high cost of production is not good for our exports.
\nAbdul Hameed said that high energy tariffs, growing rates of taxes, and lack of skilled labor are the main reasons behind the increase in the cost of production. Manufacturing and production industries have the potential to significantly impact economic growth by reducing unemployment in the country.
\n\u201cWe are the biggest employment generators and largest exporters, contributing two-third of textile exports and one-third of country\u2019s total exports.
\nThe apparel sector has an immense potential to create jobs with comparatively low investment and less energy needs, as it generates four times the employment at one-fourth of the energy consumption compared to other textile sectors.\u201d
\nThe chairman said that Pakistan\u2019s industry is struggling in the international market due to challenges such as high inflation, political instability, increased power tariff, rising fuel costs, energy shortages, and lack of R&D.
\nAn effective strategy is needed to improve the performance of the industrial sector. The government should facilitate exporters by providing a level playing field to them in terms of business costs, particularly in utility pricing, he suggested.
\nHe said Pakistan\u2019s economy, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), is struggling to cope with the current economic crunch, and needs support. Rather than providing subsidies or waivers, the industries are being burdened through rising production cost.
\nThe burden of surging oil prices in the international market is immediately transferred to consumers by the government, but the process of reducing prices is always very slow, he noted.
\nHe asked the government to work on a fast track plan to address expansive energy issue and priority should be given to the value-added textile industry in this regard.
\nThe chairman urged for increasing ease of doing business, lowering cost of production, paying early refunds to solve liquidity crunch, relaxing import policy for industrial raw material, and equalizing the energy tariff across the country.
\nHe said various provincial departments, including EOBI, Social Security, Women Welfare, Environment Department etc were playing a negative role and treating the manufacturers and exporters like criminals.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
LAHORE The value-added export-oriented textile industry should be given the top priority of the government, providing them maximum facilitation to meet their exports requirements. The government needs to establish long-term and sustainable policies in consultation with the real stakeholders to enhance exports, increasing foreign exchange earnings for the country. Presently, the high cost of doing […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":450901,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-450870","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-business"},"yoast_head":"\n