KARACHI – Pakistan Readymade Garments Manufacturers and Exporters Association (PRGMEA) Zonal Chairman Jawed Chinoy, in a press statement, said that growth in Pakistan’s textile exports is largely driven by an increase in value added products in real terms. He said that value of readymade garment exports have increased by 35 percent, while the quantity exported has gone up by 23 percent.
Similarly, value of knitwear exports and its quantity has increased by 24 percent and 21 percent respectively. Despite significant increase in cotton prices, Pakistan is still the cheapest source of value added garments and knitwear goods, which is why, quantities in these value added products have also gone up, he said. It is unfortunate that vested interests, including APTMA, are misleading the government, claiming that they are the main reason behind the rise in export.
The government seems willing to lead by this powerful lobby – which is most unfortunate, he added. The government should consult the value added sector rather than yarn makers, who are being allowed to run policies. Small scale garment units are allowing an increase in exports and if the government continues trumpeting baseless claims of such lobbies, it would mean that they are unaware of ground realities, he said.
“We have said this before and we are stating this again that government is following inconsistent policies – not in favor of the nation. By leaving the previous policies unfulfilled and adopting new ones, the government is only adding confusion,” he said. Former textile minister Rana Farooq Saeed Khan announced the first ever textile policy 2009-14 in August 2009 and many of its clauses are still unfinished.
