Chief Coordinator Pakistan Readymade Garments Manufacturers and Exporters Association (PRGMEA), Ijaz A Khokhar urged the government to take initiatives for the version of visa policy to facilitate the foreign buyers and investors for making the country trade and business friendly. Talking to Business Recorder on Tuesday 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 that 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.
Ijaz further stated that government should negotiate with the Chinese government to review its policy and grant multiple entry visas to the members of business community of Pakistan with validity of five years and procedure for obtaining Chinese visa should be simplified. Pakistani business community in this way would be able to explore Chinese market for their products and it will be supportive in enhancing the existing bilateral trade volume to record breaking new heights he said.
The PRGMEA coordinator further said that business community engaged with ready-made garment was making adequate efforts to boost export volume despite certain hurdles and different government agencies were harassing the textile industry virtually every day adding that social security, EOBI and other taxes should merge and deducted at source and government will receive more tax than it actually received from the textile companies because of indifferent system.
Ijaz said that lack of coordination among the stakeholders is a major obstacle in the implementation of Textile Policies in true spirit resulting in stunted growth of exports. Under the circumstance PRGMEA suggest that Prime Minister should take patron-ship of Pakistan exports and hold quarterly meetings to review progress where both private and public sectors will be answerable for failures and success and this the best way to gear up the activity to increase exports he added.
The PRGMEA Coordinator welcoming the new government incentive Package designed to boost the country's clothing and textile exports adding that the incentive package will only be beneficial if implemented efficiently he said. He said that due non payment of refunds and sharp increase in cotton yarn prices the value-added textile industry on the verge to collapse and we appealed to Prime Minister to personally pass orders for swift implementation of the package.
Despite certain problems and odds, the business community will continue its efforts for enhance 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 said.
We understand that formulation of sector wise policies is the only remedial solution to avoid decline and stabilize the exports of the country he said. Ijaz said the formulation of sector wise policies would not only help in increasing exports but also supportive in minimizing the problems confronted by the business community.
Ijaz said that due to non-availability of latest fabric locally the garment sector currently have limited product lines 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. Our value added products are unable to fetch high value due to the poor packaging and under the circumstances there is need of setting up a product and packaging centre for ensuring better packaging he added.