Bilateral cooperation: ‘SMEs should focus on garments, leather exports’

High commissioner says Australia is willing to provide training to entrepreneurs

FAISALABAD:

“Australia can provide a platform for small and medium enterprises to enhance production and exports,” said Margaret Adamson, High Commissioner of Australia. “This can enhance trade of sports goods, leather products and garments.”

She was addressing a meeting at Faisalabad Garments City (FGC) on Thursday evening. Local businessmen were also present at the meeting.

“Australia is a small market but it can provide expertise to Pakistani entrepreneurs to produce international standard goods and market their products across the globe,” she said.

“We can neither launch nor produce these products but we can help Pakistan introduce these products to the world,” she added.

She said Pakistani entrepreneurs were successfully marketing football goods. “Similarly, Leather has a huge potential in Australian markets. They could manufacture products on behalf of international companies.” she said.

She said this would not only enhance exports but also generate employment for Pakistanis in Australia.

“The fashion industry is an innovative sector always led by young people. Pakistan has dynamic youth who can penetrate world markets through this sector.”

She appreciated the idea of the Faisalabad Garments City and said that the SME sector should urge the government to provide better infrastructure.

“This will serve as incubator for a robust garment sector,” she said.

She said Australia was willing to extend support for capacity building of private entrepreneurs from Pakistan.

“The China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) would not only improve infrastructure and overcome energy shortage but also encourage investment in this part of the world,” she said.

Earlier, Faisalabad Garments City Chairman Rehan Naseem Bharara said 6,000 workers had been employed at the facility. He said 60 per cent of these were women.

“We want to equip women with skills so that they make a livelihood and contribute to introduction of quality products for export purposes,” he said.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 5^th, 2016.