'Govt striving hard to make garment industry competitive'

LAHORE: Adviser to Prime Minister on Commerce Abdul Razak Dawood has said the government is taking all necessary measures to make the value-added textile industry competitive and vibrant in the international market.

He was talking to a delegation of the Pakistan Readymade Garments Manufacturers and Exporters Association (PRGMEA) which met him at his office under the leadership of its Central Chairman Mubashar Naseer Butt.

The PM's adviser assured the delegation that a level playing field would be provided to the zero-rated export industry, adding that due to the right policies of the government, the economy of the country would improve in the months to come as "exports are now improving".

Dawood said that the government is faced with multiple challenges, but it would make organized efforts to face them successfully in order to lift the living standards of the people.

On the occasion, the PRGMEA leadership made a detailed presentation to the PM's advisor and suggested him the way forward to take the industry out of the crisis as well as to increase the country's exports.

PRGMEA Chairman Mubashar Naseer Butt observed that value-added garments sector has shown 11.22pc growth in 2017-18 despite the internal and external challenges. The sector is a major taxpayer and the largest employment generator in the entire textile chain, exporting up to $5.5 billion textile products, he added.