Pakistan Advised Value-Added Textile Entrepreneurs to Focus on Eastern European Markets

In the wake of recently earned Generalized System of Preference Plus (GSP+) status, Rukhsana Shah, Federal Secretary of Textile Industry Division, Pakistan has advised value-added textile entrepreneurs to focus on the Eastern European markets, which has substantial growth potential.

Pakistan attained the status after 10 long years, giving the Pakistani textile entrepreneurs with enough time to devise short-term and long-term strategies, which is expected to positively reflect in country’s textile exports to the EU, said Ms. Shah during a meeting of value-added textile producers-cum-exporters at Pakistan Hosiery Manufacturers and Exporters Association (PHMA) house in Karachi.

Noting that GSP Plus has extended an opportunity for Pakistani textile entrepreneurs to increase their investment in skill development, she advised the entrepreneurs to also focus on better marketing of their products to tap the benefits of the scheme and also develop ideas to overcome problems faced with regards to raw-material imports from South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) member nations, particularly India.

Ms. Shah informed that in an effort to express interest of Pakistan in boosting exports to EU, Minister of State for Commerce and Textile Industry Khurram Dastagir is to visit Eastern Europe in March 2014.

On their part, textile entrepreneurs appealed to the Government to develop a daily monitoring system for all exports under GSP+ and reintroducing zero-rated status for the export-oriented industry to help reap the benefit from the GSP scheme. Also, they called on for introduction of single window operations for exports, where exporters can pay all duties and taxes and can also get refunds, if applicable.

Chairman of Pakistan Apparel Forum (PAF) and the chief coordinator of PHMA, Muhammad Jawed Bilwani said that in order to fully benefit from the GSP+ scheme Pakistan not only needs to address the security, financial and energy crisis issues troubling the industry, but also monitor its performance with respect to the scheme.

During 2012-13, textile exports from Pakistan exceeded US$ 13 billion, 60 percent of which were towards EU.