Some key stakeholders in the textile sector have claimed that the Ministry of Textile Industry has not invited them to a highly important meeting being held under the Chairmanship of Defence Minister Chaudhry Ahmed Mukhtar, who also holds the portfolio of Textile Industry, here on April 23.
The meeting has been convened to discuss the current status of textile industry and invite suggestions from the participants to overcome the problems being faced by the stakeholders.
The most value-added textile sectors, which have not been invited include Pakistan Hosiery Manufacturers Association (PHMA), Pakistan Knitwear and Sweaters Exporters Association (PAKSEA), Pakistan Cotton Fashion Apparel Manufacturers and Exporters Association (PCFA), All Pakistan Textile Processing Mills Association (APTPMA), and Pakistan Readymade Garments Manufacturers and Exporters Association (PRGMEA).
The chairmen of these Associations in their communications that they sent separately to the Minister for Textile Industry regretted that "unfortunately and surprisingly the bureaucrat sending invitations for the meeting has ignored the Chairmen of four leading value added apparel exporters associations."
Jawed Bilwani, Chairman, PHMA, Rafiq Habib Godil, Central Chairman, PAKSEA, and Dr Shahzad Arshad, Chairman, PCFA in their fax messages requested the Minister to intervene in the matter so that the chairmen of these associations are invited to the meeting as their participation would be quite meaningful and beneficial to the nation's export earnings.
They said that PHMA, PAKSEA, PCFA, and PRGMEA are the actual stakeholders with annual exports of US $3.5 billion, which is 20 percent of the nation's total exports. Apparel industry is on the verge of collapse and this is the peak time for the Ministry to take steps aimed at its rescue, they said. Dr Shahzad Arshad said that textile industry, particularly the most value-added sectors, ie apparel manufacturing and exporting need sound policies and urgent reforms to increase export of apparel from Pakistan.
He urged the Minister to chalk out a comprehensive textile policy after consulting the stakeholders because at the moment apparel manufacturing and exporting sector in general and textile sector in particular are faced with heavy odds. Immediate corrective measures are, therefore, required to avert possible disaster.
He claimed that of our total exports textile industry contributes approximately 67 percent and provides employment to about 40 percent people and at the same time contributes about 10.20 percent to the GDP.
All sectors of textile industry, which include spinning, fabric weaving, dying and printing and apparel manufacturing, have been badly hit, he said. The textile exports in February 2008 decreased to 48.6 percent from 64.5 percent in February 2007. The export target for 2007-08 was US $19.2 billion, whereas the declining trend in the share of textile exports was indicative of the fact that the country might miss the set target, Dr Shahzad Arshad said.