FAISALABAD Oct 1: A comprehensive training programme will be launched to overcome the shortage of trained professionals to face the challenges of WTO and bring a qualitative and quantitative improvement in the textile sector.
This was stated by Federal Textile Industry Minister Mushtaq Ali Cheema while speaking to participants of the annual general meeting (AGM) of the Pakistan Textile Exporters Association (PTEA) here on Thursday night.
He said the demand of quality textile products in global markets was expected to increase manifold after the elimination of quotas from January 2005. Pre-empting the new situation, he said most of the industrialists-cum-exporters had already invested billions of rupee to improve the quality of their products. However, they were facing acute shortage of trained professionals to improve the quality as well as production.
Mr Cheema said the US Aid was ready to extend financial and technical assistance while finances could also be arranged from the Export Development Fund (EDF) to start training programmes in addition to reactivating the existing sick institutes.
About his nestling ministry, he said that its format, structure and responsibilities were yet to be decided, but it was clear that we would not exploit it for personal gains. We expected that textile exporters and all other stake holders would help in managing this ministry with a national spirit and commitment to strengthen the economy.
It was in this context that I had refused to accept the responsibilities of the profit making job of quota management, he said and hoped that other exporters of Faisalabad would also bring good name to their city and the country.
The minister stressed the need for the regional trade and said that European countries had ended their century old disputes to promote regional trade. We were also striving hard to remove the irritants hampering regional trade, he said.
In his welcome address, PTEA chairman Ahmad Kamal underlined the role of the textile and said that this sector was contributing 68 per cent to the national export. He said that industrialists had made huge investment in plants and machinery and had the best manufacturing faculties in the world of textile sector.
However, we were lagging behind in the availability of trained professionals. The PTEA chairman said that there was no such institute in Faisalabad which could produce talent and expertise which was required to boost the quality standards of our products.
He proposed the establishment of a special wing in the GC University to train and produce high-quality and value-added products. Faisalabad, he said, could double its export figures within next two years if we fulfilled the requirement of social compliance.
He also demanded a special division in the textile ministry to facilitate the exporters in achieving compliance certification. About his performance during this year, he said that a laboratory had been sanctioned while 40 per cent more sales tax refunds were made particularly to the small and medium scale exporters.
The PTEA, he said, was also alive to its social responsibilities and it had generated funds to buy angiography machine for the Heart Trust Foundation. He was appreciative of exporters' cooperation in discharging of his duties successfully during his period.
He also lauded the cooperation and hard work of the PTEA staff and announced for them exgratia equal to one-month salary. He also congratulated the new office bearers of the association and hoped that they would perform better and elevate the overall image of the PTEA at international level. Meanwhile, formal announcement of the unopposed elections of new PTEA chairman Faiq Jawed and other office-holders was also made.