Federal Minister for Commerce Jam Kamal Khan has announced that the government is finalizing a comprehensive Textiles and Apparel Policy and National Industrial Policy for next five years aimed at making Pakistan’s industry regionally competitive, removing trade barriers, and ensuring long-term export growth.
Chairing a meeting with Aamir Fayyaz Sheikh, CEO of Kohinoor Mills, Kamran Arshad, Chairman All Pakistan Textile Mills Association (APTMA), Mr. Rehman Naseem, CEO, Fazal Cloth, and Shahid Sattar, Executive Director APTMA at the Ministry of Commerce, and joined by Haroon Akhtar Khan Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Industries and Production; the Commerce Minister underlined that Textiles and Apparel Policy will be designed aimed at reducing cost of manufacturing, improving resource productivity and optimizing processes, promoting research and development and product/market diversification, and enhancing Pakistan’s share in global market.
He remarked that Pakistan must rely on export growth, adding that the Government is committed to ensure all decisions are taken in consultation with stakeholders. Jam Kamal stressed that, for the first time, the Government and industry are aligned in their determination to revive and enhance momentum of increasing exports.
Welcoming industry proposal to analyze the policies of regional competitors, Jam Kamal shared the observations from his recent visit to Dhaka, where he witnessed first-hand the country’s remarkable success in industrial development and exports of readymade garments.
Special Assistant to the Prime Minister Haroon Akhtar Khan emphasized that the new Industrial Policy would go beyond few sectors and address the broader industrial landscape. He explained that the Policy would comprehensively cover the areas including energy, tariffs and taxation, financing, economic zones and the other areas. He also underlined that facilitation for Greenfield projects, land-lease models under Public-Private Partnership, and one-window model for investor facilitation are also being incorporated.
He added that the initiative, under the vision of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, would inject new momentum into industrial growth across the country.
APTMA delegation urged the government to remove structural inefficiencies and provide enabling environment that hinder competitiveness of export sectors in the global market.
The Commerce Minister concluded the meeting with optimism about boosting exports through sustainable policy support and collaborative efforts of stakeholders.
