Implementation of Export Plan by Pakistan
'Pakistan Times' Business & Commerce Desk

ISLAMABAD: In a meeting held here on Monday chalked out a programme of implementation of the recommendations regarding Export Plan approved by the Prime Minister on March 3.

The meeting was held under the Chairmanship of Mushtaq Ali Cheema, Minister for Textile Industry here today.

The meeting was attended by all the relevant Ministries and organizations including Ministries of Finance, Food, Agriculture and Livestock, Ministry of Industries, Production and Special initiatives, Science and Technology, Petroleum and Natural Resources, Commerce, Planning division, and Central Board of Revenue, Board of Investment, State Bank of Pakistan, WAPDA, ENERCON, NAVTEC, TUSDEC, TDAP, Higher Education Commission, Pakistan Central Cotton Committee.

Various issues and intervention related to human resource development, raw material, cluster development progrmme, production, making, conformity assessment, research and development were discussed in great length.

Problems related to lack of cotton varieties, synthetic varieties, Bt cotton, ELS cotton, cotton contamination and the need for quality and standardized cotton, along with lack of skills levels, availability of skilled manpower/ experts, best practices were also discussed.

The meeting also took stock of the cluster development programme, and spelled out the need for industrial parts with investment in common energy generation and distribution facilities and one window facility, with a view to overcome the low productivity syndrome while inculcating scales economies and reducing the cost of business.

Minister for Textile Industry spelled out the need for balancing the textile chain by shifting the emphasis to weaving, dyeing & printing and garments sector while overcoming the problem of fragmentation, low productivity and low value addition.

The need for an enabling/conducive fiscal/incentive regime was also underscored along with the need for tariff rationalization, dedicated credit lines, etc. Quality has to be improved through better conformity assessment through latest laboratories and testing facilities.

The changing marketing dynamics also needed a concerted strategy, spelling out a strategy to incorporate JVs, product and market diversification, road shows, supply chain warehouses, R&D, and value addition to target the high-end spectrum.

The Minister constituted various task forces for implementation of the various programmes along with modalities for monitoring and follow up.●