Call for setting up 'tailoring institutes'

Former Pakistan Readymade Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (Prgmea) chairman Ijaz Khokhar has called upon the Punjab and federal government to take initiatives for setting up ultra modern "tailoring institutes" for catering to the needs of the industry in rural and urban areas of the country.
In an interview with Business Recorder here on Sunday afternoon, he said the timely action of the governments in this regard would not only be supportive for the industry, but will also help producing a large number of trained and skilled hands. The induction of skilled and semi-skilled industrial workforce in the industry would surely enhance productivity to manifold and ensure quality of production, added.
Ijaz Khokhar foresees a big boom in next four to five years and would be crucial for martial arts industry because the uniform orders would be diverted to Pakistan because it was producing its uniforms in the region. In order to bring tremendous boom in the exports of the country, the SME sector should be encouraged and ensure its participation in foreign trade fair and exhibitions and trade delegations, he suggested.
Ijaz also said that currently the selections of participants are mostly based on export performance and in this way the SMEs are barred from this opportunity. The Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP) should reconsider its policies and ensure the participation of SMEs in foreign fairs and trade delegations, he added.
Ijaz suggested that subsidy of trade delegations should be given to trade bodies concerned in advance to facilitate the exporters at local level.
The electricity load shedding, shortage of Sui gas and prices of petroleum were causing serious hardships in fulfilling the foreign orders in time while foreign customers are reluctant to place new orders to the Pakistani firms that will be a serious below to national economy, he said.
Ijaz also stated that under the prevailing situation the business community engaged in the industry was paying 10 to 20 percent of the expenditures from its own pocket for fulfilment of the international commitments, adding that how long the business community would spend from its own pocket for handling the foreign orders. Expressing the fear, he said that if situation remains the same the industry would come to an standstill and Pakistan will lose its creditability in the international market.
He pointed out that about 20 percent foreign orders for this summer had already been cancelled due to the power load shedding. It is very unfortunate that trade policy had not been implemented during past eight months and keeping in view the problems being confronted by the business community that fixed export target could not be achieved, he said.
The strong interaction between public and private sectors for the removal of bottlenecks and certain barriers that were hindering the exports of the country, he suggested.
Highlighting the importance of setting up the garment village, he said if the government takes drastic steps and adopts far-reaching approach in this regard and according to a rough calculation garments amounting to $90,000 could be produced on daily basis, besides it will facilitate the SMEs engaged in the industry, he added.
The former Prgmea chief was confident that the establishment of 'garment village' in this export-oriented city would help in increasing the garment export manifold. Ijaz Khokar said that there is great need of setting up "Garment Training Institute, textile laboratory and development centre should be established in this export-oriented city to help the garment sector.