Sialkot city: 'Rs 33 million approved for setting up of entrepreneur centre'

Central Chairman Pakistan Readymade Garments Manufacturers and Exporters Association (PRGMEA), Ijaz A. Khokhar has said that government has approved a grant of rupees 33 million out of the Export Development Fund (EDF) for setting up a display centre, office building and women entrepreneur training centre in the city.
In an interview with Business Recorder, here on Sunday, he said that the industry is at present facing serious problems due to the shortage of trained and skilled industrial workers. The establishment of training centre in this export-oriented city and hub of cottage industry would surely usher in new era of development prosperity and will produce skilled and trained industrial work force for the local industry, he added. He disclosed that they are considering imparting training separately to male and female workers in different sections of the industry, adding that the proposed training centre, display centre would be an addition in the export city. He said that they are making immense efforts for tracking the industry of modern production line aimed at enhancing its export volume to manifolds. "We are making all out efforts to form Federation of Pakistan Textile Industry consisting of the entire textile value chain that would safeguard the interests of all textile stakeholders," he said.
He expressed hope that roundtable conference, held in this regard last month, would pave the way for setting up textile industry federation. The prime objective of the conference was to formulate a joint strategy for saving the whole textile value chain right from the cotton grower to the value-added manufacturers and exporters from the multifarious constrains he said. PRGMEA chairman said that government should immediately address the energy supply issue to textile industry adding that utility price should be kept stable until its supply is ensure. The electricity supply should be provided to processing industry without any interruption and on priority in order to generate demand for consumption of local raw material like cotton, he demanded.
He said it is heartening to note that Prime Minister's direction to FBR for exemption of cotton growers from the levy of 3.5 percent withholding tax is timely relief, saying that immediate action is direly needed to save the industry in the larger national interest. He expressed hope that Prime Minister will take adequate action for protecting the textile industry to facilitate the business community.