FAISALABAD, June 27: The federal government has evolved a strategy for strengthening textile sector, standardization of ginning, spinning, weaving and processing, besides development of better cotton varieties. This was stated by Federal Textile Industry Minister Mushtaq Ali Cheema while talking toDawnhere on Sunday. He said only textile sector could help overcome unemployment and inflation in the country.

“Under the upgradation and standardization of the textile sector programme, a chain of laboratories would be set up at all major towns and cities in cotton growing, ginning, spinning, weaving and processing areas”, he added.

He said the government had decided to use Export Development Funds, being collected from the textile goods exporters, for development and research in the sector.

The minister said that with the help of EDF, infrastructure would be provided to augment the cotton-related activities in consonance with the present-day requirements.

He admitted that the weaving technology and equipment being used in the country were outdated and needed to be improved to meet the requirements of foreign buyers, especially the decades old power-looms should be replaced with the Swiss and Jet looms.

“We can double our textile exports by evolving colour-oriented cotton varieties, converting the cotton yarn into polyester and synthetic yarn.

At present, the developed countries are using over 80 per cent polyester and synthetic yarn in fabrics and garments, while Pakistan is using only 30 per cent synthetic yarn in these areas”, he added.

He further said that due to contamination in the cotton right from the seed to finished goods level, the local exporters were unable to earn as much foreign exchange as being earned by their competitors.

He further said that the federal government had constituted a special task force comprising growers, cotton breeders, pesticide experts, spinners, weavers and finished goods producers to formulate recommendations for a complete overhaul of the entire cotton sector and to bring it on par with the international standard.

He said the government would ensure better price for the growers if they produced quality cotton, and added there was great scope for the farmers to grow coloured cotton. He said in the past some vested interests had created hatred among the cotton growers and spinners, which caused huge financial loss to the textile sector and the economy as well.

He was optimistic that with the import of tax-free machinery for the textile and allied sectors, the country’s exports would increase manifold.