ISLAMABAD, Aug 18: Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz said on Saturday that the proposed establishment of reconstruction opportunity zones (ROZs) would provide more duty-free market access to Pakistani products in US.

Talking to vice president for Levi Strauss, David Love, with other executives and Pakistani exporters, the premier said the plan to set up ROZs to allow duty-free access to US in commercially depressed areas will contribute to improving the overall economic conditions and standard of living of the people, particularly in tribal areas, NWFP and Balochistan.

An official announcement issued after the meeting said the premier further stated that ROZs would help promote industrial expansion, create more job opportunities and improved infrastructural facilities in less-developed areas of the country.

He underscored the need for enhancing export of value-added products in the textile sector so as to earn more foreign exchange.

In this connection, he said the private sector also needs to improve foreign market research and analysis capability.

He also underlined the need for increased market access for Pakistani goods in the American markets.

It was observed that the textile sector had shown substantial development during the last few years as a result of government’s initiatives and a hassle-free environment provided by the government.

It was also felt that the setting up of a separate ministry of textile would help the textiles sector. The clean cotton programme, setting up of textile city in Karachi and garment cities in Lahore, Faisalabad and Karachi and compliant labour laws will contribute to development of textile sector.

David Love said that currently his company was buying various products from Pakistan.

He expressed confidence in government’s economic policies and quality of Pakistani products and expressed the hope that his company would further increase purchases from Pakistan, particularly after the ROZs became operative.