LAHORE: Punjab Minister for Industries, Commerce & Investment Shafay Hussain has assured the All Pakistan Textile Mills Association (APTMA) of expediting the development of industrial parks in Punjab to boost apparel exports.
He made this assurance during a meeting with the APTMA delegation led by Chairman North Kamran Arshad, which included Senior Vice Chairman Asad Shafi, Executive Muhammad Ali, and Secretary General Mohammad Raza Baqir.
The Minister informed the delegation that the Chief Minister of Punjab has recently established a high-powered committee headed by the Provincial Minister for Industries. This committee is tasked with examining and understanding global best practices, particularly those in Bangladesh, for the establishment and operation of garment cities based on a ‘Plug and Play Model’. He added that these industrial parks will be equipped with state-of-the-art infrastructure to attract both foreign and local investors. The committee will make recommendations on all aspects of setting up Garment Parks, either within existing industrial estates or at new sites.
Hussain expressed hope that APTMA would offer technical assistance and expertise to the Punjab government in this initiative.
Chairman APTMA North Kamran Arshad highlighted that Patron-in-Chief APTMA Gohar Ejaz had envisioned the creation of apparel cities in the province through the construction of modern industrial zones dedicated to garment manufacturing. This vision aims to attract local and international investors by leveraging competitive advantages such as low-cost labor and favorable trade status, with the goal of boosting textile exports by an additional $12 billion.
Arshad explained that these industrial parks would offer fully equipped plug-and-play factories for rent, significantly increasing Pakistan’s apparel exports and economic impact while generating substantial employment opportunities to alleviate poverty.
He projected that the establishment of these industrial parks could boost export revenue by $2 billion annually in the first phase by creating a conducive production environment and enhancing global competitiveness. Upon completion, the parks are expected to generate $12 billion per annum.
These industrial zones are crucial for overall economic growth, as they stimulate industrial activity, attract investment, and foster economic development, Arshad stressed.
Senior Vice Chairman APTMA Asad Shafi elaborated on the technical details of the proposed zones, sharing insights from his visits to similar parks in China. He explained that each park will cover 2,000 acres and include five districts. Each district will host 400 stitching units of 2 acres each, with a covered area of 100,000 square feet. Initially, 100 fully built garment factories, each equipped with 1,000 stitching machines and an investment of $2 million, will be established, with the potential to generate annual exports of $20 million per factory.
Shafi assured the Punjab Government, on behalf of APTMA, of their full support in realizing the dream of establishing Garment Parks. He thanked the Punjab Government for adopting APTMA’s vision to enhance textile exports from Punjab to global markets and reaffirmed APTMA’s commitment to the project.
