LAHORE   - Appreciating the establishment of garment city near Kala Shah Kaku, Pakistan Readymade Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association has observed that the project has immense potential to create jobs with comparatively low investment and less energy needs.
The vice chairman of PRGMEA North Zone Jawwad Ch hailed CM Shahbaz Sharif services for promotion of industry, who has approving such a big industrial project, which will be spread over an area of 1,000 acres where the Pak-China industrial zone will also be established.
Jawwad Ch said the garment city project was of vital importance and should be implemented expeditiously, adding that no laxity or negligence should be tolerated in the execution of the project.
He was of the view that garment cities generate four times the employment at one-fourth of the energy consumption compared to other textile sectors.
Countries like Vietnam, Cambodia and Indonesia are grabbing a major share in global garment market, while Bangladesh and India are also preparing themselves to pick up greater share, he said.
The proposed garment city in Lahore would enable manufacturers to compete in various garment categories. The PRGMEA leader also suggested that garment cities be established at five new cities—Multan, Gujranwala, Rawalpindi, Rahimyar Khan and Jhelum—in addition to the three cities where the garment cities are proposed to be set up across Punjab province. He said the Pakistan government should give top priority to obtaining the EU’s GSP plus status, as it would increase exports by more than $ 500 million and create over 25,000 new jobs every year. He viewed that energy crisis has already been hit hard the Punjab-based value-added industry and demands attention from the policymakers.

He expressed his disappointment over the FBR delaying tactics, as no company has get refund for 2 per cent sales tax on purchases of raw material for export since Feb 2013 while the ration has further been enhanced to 3 per cent. He said that revenue generation through taxes is not a good approach by keeping the value-added textile industry hostage.