PRGMEA lauds launch of first NCC

LAHORE: Pakistan Readymade Garments Manufacturers & Exporters Association (PRGMEA) on Thursday appreciated the government for launching the first-ever National Compliance Centre (NCC) to facilitate businesses, especially exporters, as it would help SMEs promote their businesses.

Appreciating the Ministry of Commerce for the endeavor, PRGMEA reiterated that the move would be very effective for SMEs in helping them promote their business, besides improving export opportunities amidst economic slowdown and sliding forex reserves.

PRGMEA Central Chairman Mubashar Naseer Butt said that the local exporters were presently not competitive globally because of multiple reasons, including high energy cost, rising markup rate and the lack of implementation of the international standards. Hailing Federal Commerce Minister Naveed Qamar and Commerce Secretary Sualeh Ahmad Faruqi on opening the NCC, he said that it was a right step in the right direction.

This facility under a one window solution was one of the major demands of exporters to ensure international compliance requirements and facilitate certification agencies through information sharing and capacity building.

Butt added that several importing countries, under the guise of meeting specific regulatory, environmental, social, health, and quality compliances, impose these non-tariff barriers. Pakistan’s value-added textile exporters often faced such unforeseen requirements, especially when exporting to developed countries and various economic blocs and free trade areas, adding to the cost for local industry. There was an urgent need to regularly upgrade production processes, making them climate-friendly, sustainable, and more inclusive especially in terms of sharing benefits from international trade agreements and market access concessions.