The National Textile Policy 2009-14 is a document of many vague promises as it has not set any specific targets for sub-sectors and is short of concrete & substantive measures to steer the textile industry out of current troubles. This was said by Mian Shaukat Masud, President, Islamabad Chamber of Commerce & Industry while commenting on new textile policy.

He said policy has not announced any loan restructuring measures for sick and ailing textile units, which has disappointed the industrialists.

He said the target of $25 billion textile exports unveiled by the government for the next five years is too ambitious, particularly in the prevailing conditions of massive energy crisis, high cost of doing business and unfavorable business environment.

He said formulating five years textile policy is a laudable step as it gives a long term road map to textile industry for making plans and setting priorities. But he said the policy focuses more on export promotion measures, instead of steps to increase production capacity and added that without increasing production capacity, enhancing exports is a tough task.
 
Mian Shaukat said government has taken some good measures in textile policy like setting up of the Textile Investment Support Fund, Technology Upgradation Fund, Infrastructure Development, Skill Development and many other supporting measures, but we have to see to what extent these good steps are implemented.

He said in the past, governments had been announcing such promising steps, but their implementation always remained unfulfilled which has badly dented the confidence of industrialists in government policies.

He also showed concern over the conflicting targets of different ministries as Ministry of Textile has estimated $ 25 billion textiles exports during next 5-years implying an annual average surge of $ 5 billion while the Ministry of Commerce has projected an increase of $1 billion in overall exports for the year 2010. He said such conflicting projections create confusion in exporters and show a lack of coordination between government departments.

He said government should accord high priority to controlling power crisis, law and order, reducing high gas and electricity tariffs for reducing cost of doing business because without addressing these issues, achieving textile policy targets will be nothing more than a dream.