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FPCCI for tech co-operation between AOTS, extile institutes

RECORDER REPORT

KARACHI: The FPCCI has called for technical co-operation between Association of Overseas Technical Scholarships (AOTS) of Japan and technical institutes of various textile associations to improve the quality of value added products in minimum production cost.

The suggestions were made by Mehmood Ahmed, Vice President FPCCI at a seminar on 'Management of Production in Garment Industry' organised by AOTS, Juki Corporation, the largest sewing machinery manufacturer of Japan and Al Murtuza Machinery of Karachi at a local hotel on Monday. The seminar was also addressed by Japanese Consul-General in Karachi Kazumi Debika and Bilal Mulla, Chairman Pakistan Readymade Garments Manufacturers and Exporters Association (Prgmea) South Zone, Shabir Ahmed, Chairman Pakistan Bedwear Exporters Association and Arif Rashid of Al Murtuza machinery.

The AOTS, whose objective is to train workers and technical staff in technical skills to help industrialisation in developing countries, opened its office in Pakistan in 1968 and has so far trained over 400 Pakistani workers in Japan. This is the first technical seminar organised by AOTS in Pakistan which is being participated by officials and experts of Juki Corporation from Japan and Singapore.

Emphasising the need for organising frequent training apportunities for workers of textile industry Mehmud Ahmed said that the average of raining opportunities provided to Pakistan's is only 10 in the last 40 years. The AOTS should provide training to at least 100 persons from Pakistan because the country was in dire need of higher value addition in its products which are presently sold at nominal price ( 4 dollars per piece) compared to garment goods exported by Hong Kong ( 36 dollars) and Korea (34 dollars).

Addressing the seminar Bilal Mulla, said that the basic needs of the garment industry was improved technical knowhow and most modern machinery. Quality of garments could only be achieved through modernisation of production methods and trained technical staff which could make local products competing in the international market.

He said that the seminar would provide a great opportunity to the participants to learn techniques to enter the Japanese market which would prove a large export market for Pakistani garments. Pakistan readymade garments industry is blessed with capable manpower and entrepreneurships to have the industry recognised as the most productive and selling industry in the world. The seminar will help the industry as mean of development to march ahead and prepare itself for the crucial era of competition in the textile industry due to begin from 2004.

Addressing the seminar Consult-General of Japan Kazumi Debika said that Japan and Pakistan enjoyed cordial political and trade relations and the latter is an important trading partner of Japan.

He said that Pakistan's garment industry had made tremendous progress and today its products were well recognised in markets in USA, Europe and Canada. However, the most of the industry comprise small units which employ untrained contract labour which grealty mars the quality of products and fetches low price in the export market.