Chief Co-ordinator of Pakistan Readymade Garments Manufacturers and Exporters Association (PRGMEA) Ijaz A Khokhar has urged upon the government to take initiatives for setting up display centres in Dubai and Rotterdam for bringing boom in the export. Talking to Business Recorder on Sunday he said that foreign businessmen and professionals from all over the world will be encouraged through easier and hassle free visa processing by Pakistan as foreign and investors are reluctant to visit Pakistan. He suggested the government should allow on arrival Pakistani visa to the businessmen enabling them to stay in Pakistan while they are travelling to South Asia and Middle East.
Due to negative travel advisory the foreign buyers are reluctant to Pakistan for business and marketing purpose because of ill-treatment of Immigration staff at airports and prevailing circumstances. The government should focus attention on establishment of proposed display centre, he said. He further stated that there is a great need of reversion of visa policy to facilitate the foreign buyers and investors for making the country trade and business friendly, he said. He said that in order to enter into high priced market segment a Product Development Centre and Packing Training Centre should be established with technical assistance of EU and Turkey to facilitate the business community engaged with garment sector. The PRGMEA Chief Coordinator further said that there is a need of a aggressive marketing plan for garment export to gain the maximum benefits of GSP Plus status adding that unfortunately we don't have formulate any marketing plan so far and at this juncture we are direly needed a market plan.
He underscored the need of establishing R&D Support Fund for SMEs enabling them to adopt new technology adding that garment industry as 95 percent units fall in SME sector. Ijaz suggested that government should take drastic step for establishing Garment Export Council in public-private sector to monitor production and export performance as well as to formulate appropriate policy for textile apparel sector. The proposal of garment export council had already approved and the government should expedite the process of setting up council. Appreciating the government's efforts for initiating mega project such as China-Pakistan Economic Corridor that had opened fundamentals of industrial cooperation between the two friendly countries and paved the way for new vistas of economic stability and development for Pakistan, Ijaz added. The mega CPEC project will bring closer to Asian markets and reduce the pressure of European countries for selling the products he added.
Despite certain problems and odds the business community will continue its efforts for enhancing the export volume with concept of strengthening national exchequer with national spirit, he said. Sialkot is second largest export city of Martial Art in the world and the local business community was making strenuous efforts to further enhance the export of Martial Art Uniforms, he added. He suggested that we should introduce export policies and understand that formulation of sector-wise policies is the only remedial solution to avoid decline and to stabilize the exports of the country he said.
Ijaz said that due to non-availability of latest fabric locally the garment sector currently have a limited product line for export market adding that foreign buyers were demanding new garments on G3, G4 and technical fabric raw material which are not available and produced by Pakistani weavers so far. Ijaz said at present more than 30 percent cash flow is blocked since long in the shape of sales tax refund and custom rebates which is adversely damaging cash liquidity for boosting business.
Comments
Comments are closed.