KARACHI, April 23: The textile ancillary industry has urged upon the government to immediately implement recently approved measures by the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) which are meant for promoting and strengthening exports of apparel and other value-added textile products.

“It would be too late if these measures, which are basically meant to keep the apparel industry afloat and competitive in the world market, are held back till the budget,” Aslam Karsaz, the chairman Pakistan Hosiery Manufacturers Association (PHMA), asserted.

Undoubtedly, these measures are being appreciated by the industry at large but holding them back till the budget would not serve the purpose as the value added textile industry had been suffering ever since the start of the quota free era early this year, he added.

Citing an example, he said that Indian government has launched various export promotional schemes such as marketing development assistance scheme, construction of apparel parks with federal and state assistance, textile centre infrastructure development scheme.

He said that all these are backed by capacity subsidy, target plus and duty drawbacks and also with textile up-gradation fund. Because of these measures, he said, India is today eyeing for a $40 billion apparel exports in next few years. All these schemes also provide one window solution including manpower development.

The chairman, Pakistan Readymade Garments Manufacturers and Exporters Association (Prgmea) Dawood Usman Jakhura said even a country like Bangladesh, which does not grow a single flower of cotton is doing all to protect its apparel exports.

He said that Bangladesh has opted for a no-tax scheme for both direct and indirect export sectors with emphasis on achieving an additional export of one billion dollar in 2005.

There is also strong demand from business community that export industry both direct and indirect should be taken out of the clutches of labour laws. Now the industry has to be “social compliant” if it has to stay in the world market. Therefore, duplication of laws only adds to woes and costs of exporters.

Anis Marfani, chairman Pakistan Knitwears and Sweaters Association said that the government should also look into the GSP Plus and added that “we did not prepare ourselves to face the WTO quota free regime and are still in the planning stages.”

He said that markets once lost can not be captured so easily and their competitors from China and India are penetrating deep into the world market at their cost because they are not in a position to face the challenges of free market era.