The Pakistani government has constituted a high level committee to bring about a ‘Policy Action Plan’ to redress the impediments confronted by the textile industry in increasing its exports, the media has reported.

The committee will present its recommendations in the next month which will be forwarded to the Prime Minister for swift decisions in order to reverse the declining trend in the country’s exports.

Commerce minister Khurram Dastgir Khan ordered the formation of the committee during a meeting with representatives of All Pakistan Textile Mills Association (APTMA), Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP) chairman S M Muneer and Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) president Mian Muhammad Adrees.

The minister directed the committee to hold negotiations with all 14 associations of the textile sector and bring about viable proposals keeping view the constraints faced by the government. Representatives of APTMA demanded government’s support as international competitors in the textile sector are eroding Pakistan’s preferences.

The association proposed to bring about a level playing field for Pakistani textile producers to take on regional competitors who are heavily subsidized and supported by their governments. Pakistani textile exporters have been complaining about the lack of ease of doing business, chronic power shortage, high gas prices and cumbersome taxation policies that have been hurting export earnings.

“The government should also take stern and swift steps in case where dumping and smuggling of goods is reported,” they said.