‘Textile mills to have incentives to boost apparel exports’

LAHORE:Punjab Minister for Industries, Commerce and Investment Shafay Hussain has assured the textile mills of offering incentives better than Bangladesh to attract Chinese investors to boost apparel exports through industrial parks in Punjab.

During his visit to All Pakistan Textile Mills Association (APTMA) here on Wednesday, he observed that a mechanism is being evolved to ensure no change in policy irrespective of the coming in or going out of any government. He said that the Punjab government would also ensure full scale security for the Chinese investors operating in the province.

The minister said Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz set up a high-powered committee to examine and understand the best practices across the world in general and Bangladesh in particular for the establishment and operation of garments cities on the pattern of ‘Plug and Play Model’.

He said such industrial parks will be equipped with the state of art infrastructure to attract foreign and local investors. He said the committee would make recommendations on all aspects of the setting up of Garments Parks either in the existing industrial estates or on new sites.

He hoped that APTMA would provide all technical assistance and know-how to the Punjab government in this regard. The minister also assured APTMA of resolving the issue of waiving penalties against social security outstanding against the textile mills in the province.

Meanwhile, chairing a meeting the minister said the Punjab government will finalise the establishment of the garment city soon as the major work on the matter has been done. This was informed in the fifth meeting of the committee for making recommendations regarding the establishment of Garment City. The CM has made the committee for the establishment of the garment city in the province. In the meeting held in the committee room of the Department of Industry and Trade various proposals regarding the establishment of Garment City were considered.

The proposal to use the rooftop area for solar energy in the Garment City was reviewed while various options were considered regarding the selection of land for the Garment City. In the next meeting, the recommendations for the establishment of Garment City will be finalised. The recommendations will be sent to the CM for approval. Speaking at the meeting, Shafay Hussain said that a unique garment city in the history of the province is being built on an area of 2,000 acres.