Garments industry hails govt Indian import decision

Ejaz A. Khokhar said that the government has badly ignored the country’s Textile Sector in the Trade Policy for year 2008-09. He said that the export target of US$ 22.1 billion could never be achieved without focusing on the development of textile sector, which has been generating 2 million work forces in this industry. He said that the government would also lose the huge revenue to be collected from the textile sector, as this revenue was more than the R&D subsidy by the government to this industry. He said that the government should announce minimum 9 percent R&D subsidy for textile sector’s development in Pakistan.

UNISAME: The Union of Small and Medium Enterprises (UNISAME) has welcomed the Trade Policy, saying it is an effort to encourage the manufacturing units by facilitating import of machinery and raw materials. The Union welcomed the outlook to purchase from India as freight charges would be reduced due to proximity.

President UNISAME Zulfikar Thaver said the local industry needs protection and until and unless the imports of cheap sub standard goods is not blocked the local industry will remain in turmoil as the imported goods are being sold at lower prices against local goods which are of higher price but better quality but the customers who are under constrains due to inflation are tempted to buy cheaper goods. He urged the govt to impose dumping duty on imported goods to enable local goods made of indigenous and imported material compete the heavily under invoiced and dumped goods.