Islamabad, Dec 3 (ANI): Textile industry leaders in Pakistan have said granting the Most Favoured Nation (MFN) status to India will eliminate value-added sector, which is providing jobs to millions and contributing more than any commercial sector of the economy to export earnings.
Rising input costs, burden of taxes, size of industry, infrastructure, rules and regulations and law and order situation and extortion has increased cost of doing business substantially, The Nation quoted them, as saying.
Muhammad Mushtaq, Central Chairman Pakistan Hosiery Manufacturers and Exporters Association, Muhammad Jawed Bilwani, Chairman Pakistan Apparel Forum and M. Naqi Bari Chairman Towel Manufacturers Association of Pakistan said this while talking to Dr. Murtaza Mughal, President of the Pakistan Economy Watch (PEW) had made the complaints.
Our production is restricted, exports are shrinking and we stands at disadvantage as far as economy of scale and government's support is concerned, they insisted.
Bilwani, Mushtaq, and Bari said that instead of moving forward with the value addition, country is going backwards by exporting more of the raw materials like cotton and yarn.
All regional countries are following good practices, and paying hidden subsidies while India allows export of surplus cotton only which results in stability for value-added sectors. Pakistan should also follow such enabling policies, they demanded.
Earlier, the Jamaat-ud-Dawah, blamed for the 2008 Mumbai attacks, had organised a rally to protest the Pakistan government's move to give MFN status to India.
JuD leaders who addressed the rally accused India of being behind shortage of water that is affecting Pakistani farmers. (ANI)
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