ISLAMABAD, March 12: The textile ministry will work out a strategy for the implementation of the recommendations approved by the prime minister for increasing exports.

This was stated by Textile Minister Mushtaq Ali Cheema while chairing a high-level meeting to chalk out a programme for implementation of these recommendations. The meeting was attended by representatives of all relevant stakeholders.

An official announcement said that various issues and intervention related to human resource development, raw material, cluster development programme, production, marketing, conformity assessment, research and development were discussed in the meeting.

Problems related to lack of cotton varieties, synthetic varieties, BT Cotton, ELS Cotton, cotton contamination and the need for quality and standardised cotton, along with lack of skills levels, availability of skilled manpower/experts, best practices were also discussed.

The meeting also took stock of the cluster development programme and spelled out the need for industrial parks with investment in common energy generation and distribution facilities and one-window facility, with a view to overcome and reducing the cost of business.

The minister stressed the need for balancing the textile chain by shifting the emphasis to weaving, dyeing and printing and garments sector while overcoming the problem of fragmentation, low productivity and low value-addition.

The need for an enabling/conducive fiscal/incentive regime was also underscored along with the need for tariff rationalisation, dedicated credit lines, etc. Quality has to be improved through better conformity assessment through latest laboratories and testing facilities.

The changing marketing dynamics also needed a concerted strategy, spelling out a strategy to incorporate JVs, product and market diversification, road-shows, supply chain warehouses, R&D and value addition to target the high-end spectrum, added the announcement.