The government has prepared a package of incentives for the cotton growers and ginning factories for quality cotton production and standard ginning under its drive to check cotton contamination.
Federal Textile Industry Minister Mushtaq Ali Cheema, while addressing the local business community at a dinner reception hosted for him by Pakistan Readymade Garments Manufacturers and Exporters Association (PRGMEA) here on Thursday, said the plan has been approved by the government and it would be effective from next week.
Under the package, a grower bringing good quality cotton at factory would be directly given Rs 50 per maund as reward by the government after the quality assessment by the appraisers appointed by the Textile Industry Ministry. Similarly, Rs 30 per maund would be given to those ginning factories using better machinery aimed at quality improvement.
The minister urged the trade associations to devise their roadmap for enhanced contribution of textile industry towards strengthening the economy.
He said the government is making every effort to provide level playing field to the textile industry, which was the major contributor in exports.
He said that the government would welcome a comparative vision/statement of local textile industry with those of other countries leading in this sector so that the government could incorporate the guidelines in its new textile vision meant for next five years. The Textile Vision 2005 would be revised in consultation with the local businessmen and under the guidance of international consultants, he added. He called for enhanced interaction between the government and the private sector for better policies and co-ordinated action.
The minister informed the business community that Skill Development Board has been set up under his ministry to promote skilled manpower in the sector. This would increase the per capita production, which would help in reducing the cost of doing business and make the industry more competitive in the international market, he added.
The board would arrange on-job training in textile mills for the trainees at various textile institutes run by the government as these institutes lacked raw materials, etc.
"Our garment factories in Karachi had lower level of skills than those of Sri Lanka. Lahore and Faisalabad ranked below than Karachi," he said. Mushtaq Cheema also said that the draft of labour laws was ready to be tabled in the National Assembly during the coming session.
Most of the recommendations from the business community had been incorporated in this draft, he assured. About sales tax refund and stocks holding cases, he suggested the businessmen to sit with the government for the out of court settlement.
Minister of State and Export Promotion Bureau Chairman Tariq Ikram called for improvement in cotton supply chain management from cotton production to garment finished goods. He underlined the need to check wastage of materials and manpower to enhance competitiveness of the local textile industry in the regional and international markets. He said the country required only world class textile institutes to achieve the objective of skilled labour in this sector.
He said there was high growth potential in the textile sector. More serious and joint efforts of private and public sectors were needed for its due exploitation.
Prgmea Central Chairman Bilal Mulla and Zonal Chairman Attique Kotchra gave a briefing on various issues relating to garment industry.
Federal Textile Industry Secretary S.M.A. Rizvi, Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry Acting President Akbar Abdullah, Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry President Haroon Farooki, Site Association of Industry Chairman Amin Bandukda, leading garment manufacturer and exporter M. Zubair Motiwala were also present on the occasion.