Federal Minister for Commerce Jam Kamal Khan has announced that the government is finalising a comprehensive textile and apparel policy and a national industrial policy for the next five years aimed at making Pakistan’s industry regionally competitive, removing trade barriers and ensuring long-term export growth.

In a meeting with Aamir Fayyaz Sheikh, CEO Kohinoor Mills, Kamran Arshad, Chairman All Pakistan Textile Mills Association (Aptma), Rehman Naseem, CEO Fazal Cloth and Shahid Sattar, Executive Director Aptma at the Ministry of Commerce, Jam Kamal underlined that the textile and apparel policy would be designed in such a way that it would reduce the cost of manufacturing, improve resource productivity and optimise processes, promote research & development and product/market diversification, and enhance Pakistan’s share in the global market.

He said that Pakistan must rely on export growth and the government was committed to ensuring that all decisions were taken in consultation with stakeholders. For the first time, the government and the industry are aligned in their determination to enhance the export growth momentum.

Welcoming the industry’s proposal to analyse the policies of regional competitors, the minister shared observations from his recent visit to Dhaka, where he witnessed Bangladesh’s success in industrial development.