'Government to discourage monetary aid to textile industry'

The Federal Government has decided to discourage subsidies and monetary assistance to the textile industry and would adopt a long-term policy for this purpose.
Taking to newsman in connection with a seminar on 'Infrastructure and Human Development in Textile Industry', organised by the Ministry of Textile, Textile Secretary Zafar Mehmood said that work on the country's first textile policy was underway and the policy would be announced within the next two or three weeks.
He said that the Ministry was focusing on dismantling the trend of subsidies as these are short-term measures for the development of industry as well as for the economy. He added that continuation of such measures would, however, damage the industrial growth and the economy in the long run.
He said: "Neighbouring country is spending billions of rupees for the development of infrastructure and skill development on the huge and increasing demand by the private sector, while in our country private sector focuses only on subsidies acquisition and other financial assistance and benefits from the government.'
He said that the government was going to announce 'first textile policy' for minimum next five years. The government wants to take some long-term measures for industrial growth, instead of short-term measurers against the demands of the local industry, he added.
Poor attendance was witnessed at the seminar. Including 12 speakers, the total participants were not more than 35 persons. Majority of the speakers were trying to persuade investors to invest money in industrial projects in the 'textile cities' and mostly deviated from the topic of the seminar.
Textile Minister Mushtaq Ahmed Cheema was also not there to address the participants. Earlier it was announced that the Minister would be the chief guest at the seminar. When reporters asked Idrees Ahmed, Textile Commissioner regarding the minister's arrival, he said that the minister was busy in political activities in Islamabad.
Participants of the seminars also criticised the government's role of not paying attention to genuine issues of the textile industry. A representative of Sundar Industrial Estate said that the government was differentiating between local and foreign investors, as the government has announced some incentives for Pak-China industrial zone, while these incentive have not been announced for other new industrial estate like Sundar and other garments and textile cities.
He said that the government should adopt a transparent industrial and investment policy for both local and foreign investors. Around 170 industries have started their activities at Sundar industrial estate and some 20 have started production and 70 other are under construction, he said.
Brigadier Ahmed Raza Siddique, operating officer of Faisalabad industrial estate development and management company said that M-3 project would get around $6 billion investment, besides one billion rupees investment of Faisalabad industrial estate.
He said that M-3 project would provide around one million direct jobs and around 3 million indirect jobs. Dr Zubair Bandokda, president of Pakistan Institute of Textile, said that at present 430 students were registered with the institute and the institute was established in 1994 with financial assistance provided by Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (former EPB) from Export Development Fund.
Pakistan Institute of Textile has international standard laboratories of spinning, weaving, wet processing and other textile products. Qaman Aftab, Director Faisalabad Garment City Company, Zaheer Hussain CEO Pakistan Textile City, Maria Javed Deputy Director National Vocational and Technical Education Commission were also present.