April 01, 2007	Sunday	Rabi-ul-Awwal 12, 1428

KARACHI, March 31: Chairman, North Karachi Association of Trade and Industry (NKATI), Faraz Mirza, has said that textile manufacturers need to be at par with competitors, like India, China and Bangladesh, by getting tax concession, cheap and easy bank loans, less expensive and subsidised and constant supply of utilities to permit the textile sector to be more competitive in world markets.

In a statement, he said the government must reduce mark-up rate for investment and industrialisation and sign FTA with the US and other countries for duty-free entry of Pakistani products.

He said America is yet to sign an FTA with Pakistan whereas countries, like Morocco, Kenya, Bahrain, and Oman, enjoy this facility.

The Pakistani government must realise that if foreign buyers choose not to buy from Pakistan, there is something wrong in its policies which are turning away the buyers.