KARACHI, July 23: Federal Minister for Textile Industry Mushtaq Ali Cheema said on Monday that the government had fixed a growth target of 12 per cent for textile exports during the current fiscal 2007-08.

He was talking to the media after chairing a seminar on “Improving the competitiveness of the textile industry” at PIM.

The seminar was organised by the ministry of textile industry in collaboration with the ministry of industries, production and special initiatives and PIM.

Cheema pointed out that textile exports had recorded an increase of 6.04 per cent in the last fiscal. The government has made efforts during the last five years (2000-05) to initiate capacity building in the textile industry and it will now deliver results, he added.

He said that the government had created textile training institute to produce 5,000 skilled workers to improve productivity in the textile sector.

“We are also making efforts to enhance competitiveness of the local textile sector in order to help them compete in the international market,” he added.

Cheema said the government was encouraging the private sector to hire services of trainers from abroad and send local trainers abroad for further training. —APP