Asian Development Bank (ADB) Country Director Emma Fan met with members of the All Pakistan Textile Mills Association (APTMA) to discuss the textile industry’s performance, export outlook, and ways to increase the volume and value of textile shipments.
During the meeting, an ADB delegation, led by Emma Fan and accompanied by Asad Aleem (Deputy Country Director), Khayyam Abbasi (Programmes Officer), and Shaheryar Choudhry (Senior Investment Officer), held an in-depth brainstorming session with the APTMA management.
The ADB representatives encouraged the textile business community to prioritize compliance with international conventions, particularly those related to sustainability, labor, and human rights. They also presented insights on the ADB’s new Country Partnership Strategy for Pakistan, highlighting key opportunities and challenges facing the region’s economy.
Emma Fan emphasized that the ADB strategy focuses on four priority areas: energizing the private sector, optimizing the public sector, enabling human resources, and expanding connectivity and access to foster long-term economic growth. She also stressed the importance of consistent business-friendly policies and broadening Pakistan’s export base to include higher value-added textile exports.
In his address, APTMA Chairman Kamran Arshad provided an overview of the challenges faced by Pakistan’s textile industry and proposed a five-year plan to reach a $50 billion textile export target. He outlined plans to establish 1,000 garment plants in dedicated apparel parks, which would enhance exports, create millions of jobs, and improve the country’s foreign exchange reserves. Arshad sought ADB’s support in developing these proposed parks to boost the industry’s output.
Arshad also highlighted the significant growth in Pakistan’s value-added textile exports, which now account for more than 70% of the country’s textile exports, including knitwear, garments, bed wear, and towels. This growth has been particularly notable since Pakistan’s European Union GSP Plus status, which has facilitated greater market access.
