Suleman Ghani, Federal Secretary, Ministry of Commerce has said that the top priority will be given to trade diplomacy to attain best possible market access for Pakistans textile industry. Ministry of Commerce would help the textile industry in defending trade remedy measures abroad against textile industry as was done in the past.
He was responding to the presentation made by All Pakistan Textile Mills Association (Aptma) here on Monday at Aptma office. Earlier, Akber Sheikh said that Pakistans textile industry is an internationally competitive industry that has potential of reaching 25 billion dollars exports within 5 years, if the problems related to the raw material availability including MMF & cotton, energy supply and banking issues like excessively high interest rates are resolved.
Akber Sheikh stressed the need for meeting the requisite infrastructure requirements of the industry and competitive banking facilities as are being available to any exporting industry anywhere in the world.
He also apprised the Federal Secretary of the monthly domestic shortage of about 10,000 tonnes Polyester Staple Fibre as a result of the closure of a principal manufacturer of PSF and of the need for the textile industry to be allowed import access from all sources including India. The Federal Secretary assured of all help to the textile industry. This was one of a series of consultative meetings that the Federal Secretary was holding in preparation for a trade policy for a three year monitored delivery.