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EU diplomat asks for more “Ease of

Doing Business” for setting up hi-tech

industrial units in Pakistan

The ambassador of the EU to Pakistan, Ms. Androulla installed capacity. Now it needs a more skilled
Kaminara, said, addressing the business community workforce to fulfill its foreign commitments well in
in Faisalabad Chamber of Commerce & Industry time. She said that the EU provided a special grant to
(FCCI), that the European Union investors are Pakistan, enabling it to equip its human resource with
contemplating setting up hi-tech industrial units in the best possible technical skills.
Pakistan with technology transfer, but they want more
“Ease of Doing Business” following international Hafiz Ihtasham Javed, President FCCI, said that
standards. Pakistan is still importing 80% of textile machinery
from the EU. However, now it should explore the
The ambassador acknowledged the practical and opportunity to manufacture this machinery in
innovative approach of Pakistan during the covid Pakistan. He also explained in detail the facilities
crisis. She said that Pakistan tactfully handled this provided in M3 industrial estate to the new and
critical situation, and as a result of it, Pakistan gained potential investors for domestic and other countries.
much-needed economic activities despite the He hoped that the EU ambassador would also play
recession at the global level. She said that with her proactive role in arranging a zoom meeting of EU
enhanced production activities, the Pakistani investors with Pakistani industrialists to finalize viable
industrial sector is working round the clock with full joint ventures.

EU should speed up the recovery of the

textile sector: EURATEX

The textile and clothing industry was hardly hit by the generating 162 billion euros. SMEs are really impor-
pandemic in 2020. It is time for the European Com- tant for Europe, as SMEs exported goods worth 476
mission and Member States to set the conditions for billion euros. SMEs cover more than 50% of EU
future competitiveness and resilience. On the occa- global sales (mainly textiles, agriculture, etc).
sion of EU Industry Days, EURATEX asks the Europe-
an Commission and Member States to set the right “The forthcoming European Strategy for Textiles
conditions for the competitiveness and resilience of represents a terrific opportunity for industry and
its industrial base, in particular the textile and clothing policy makers to develop a forward-looking vision”,
industry. commented Dirk Vantyghem, EURATEX Director
General. “If Europe misses this chance, it risks losing
The T&C industry is a pillar of Europe with its one of the essential ecosystems. Too many sectors
savoir-faire and excellence, counting 160,000 compa- will be affected by such loss, as textiles are every-
nies (mainly SMEs), employing 1,500,000 people, where, from a car to the street we walk on.”

January/February 2021