SMEs inclusion needed in making of textile policy

The small and Medium Enterprises (SME) textile sector is the majority sector and plays an important part in the economy of Pakistan. Hence the Union of Small and Medium Enterprises (UNISAME) has urged the federal minister for textiles and industries Abbas Khan Afridi to sharpen the forthcoming textile policy to facilitate the SME sector and address the issues of the majority sector conscientiously.

He said that the ministry should consult the SMEs in the making of the textile policy as a non-inclusive policy of the sector would leave many important issues of supply chain unattended and the textile sector cannot afford to ignore the issue of the SME sector in framing the policy.

The sector is confronted with energy, law and order, logistics, taxation, financing, marketing support, balancing, modernization and replacement, import of chemicals, packing materials, technological gap, exchange rate and few other issues which the ministry needs to take cognizance and resolve in the new forthcoming policy without fail.

The SME sector plays major role in cotton growing, yarn and thread doubling, fabrics, bleaching, dyeing and printing, bed linen, towels, durries and rugs, dusters, mops, bag making and thus needs inclusion in the textile policy.

The vendors to the big industries are the SMEs and moreover the SMEs play a very important role as the distributors, whole sellers and retailers of the big manufacturers and promote their brands.

The textile industry is the highest foreign exchange earning sector and the big textile industries had the SMEs as their back forte. In fact, many SMEs also import and export textile and made ups.