Chaudhry Salamat Ali (Faisalabad) and Faisal Mehboob Sheikh (Sialkot) were elected as chairman and vice chairman of Pakistan Hosiery Manufacturers & Exporters Association (PHMEA) North Zone (NZ) respectively. The election process, which started on 17th July 2010, completed on 18th September 2010 and the result was announced in the annual general meeting of the association.
The newly elected office bearers will assume office from the first of October 2010, said a media release. Chaudhry Salamat Ali and Vice Chairman Faisal Mehboob demanded of the government that regular supply of energy ie electric power and natural gas should be ensured to the value added textile sector during the winter so that export sector continues working day and night to earn the badly needed foreign exchange for the country.
While addressing the annual general meeting, they stressed that the knitwear garment export industry is doing its very best to meet the export targets set forth in the textile policy 2009-14 but this is possible only when electric power and gas are supplied to the industry on a regular basis.
They observed that the shortfall in energy is an accepted reality but this should be properly managed by the concerned department of the government in consultation with the industry so that the industry suffers minimum loss. They added that weaknesses in economic infrastructure should be improved so that the industry may flourish and more jobs are provided to the youths.
Expressing views about floods, PHMEA high-ups said the damage to cotton crop should be met through immediate import of raw cotton as only then, the raw material ie yarn will be available to the value added textile industry and export orders for Christmas and New Year season executed.
On the diplomatic front, efforts should be fortified to achieve GSP plus status from the European Union on our value added textile and a confessional tariff structure from the United States, they added. We have been facing the natural calamities like earthquake and worse-than-tsunami floods during the current year besides fighting war against terrorism for last many years.
Therefore, international community should also realise our sufferings, they maintained. Chaudhry Salamat Ali remained optimistic about the future of value added Textile industry but a constant and vigilant monitoring is always needed so that the fixed targets are successfully achieved.-PR