He said Pakistan must move rapidly beyond the export of raw materials towards finished and value-added products to enhance the value of Pakistani products in international markets and increase the country’s share in global exports.

He expressed these views while addressing a function of the All Pakistan Textile Processing Mills Association (APTPMA) here on Saturday. A large number of office-bearers of the association, businessmen, industrialists and representatives of various sectors associated with the textile industry attended the event.

Haroon Akhtar Khan said that Made in Pakistan had already established its presence in international markets, and the need now was to expand that presence and give Pakistani products a stronger identity globally.

“Pakistan needs to produce more, produce better and sell more products to the world,” he said, adding that the country’s economic direction must be centred on production, exports and sustainable growth led by the private sector.

The Prime Minister’s Advisor said that the National Industrial Policy was being built around production, investment, productivity and exports. The government was taking measures to create a conducive environment for the industrial sector that could encourage investment, facilitate the establishment of new industries, support expansion of existing industrial units, create employment opportunities and increase domestic production.

He said the government’s role was not to run businesses but to create an environment in which entrepreneurs could use their capabilities, capital and experience to establish and expand successful businesses.

The government, he added, was working to remove regulatory barriers, facilitate business activity and eliminate unnecessary procedures so that industrialists could focus their time and resources on investment, production, innovation, exports and employment generation rather than permits, complex regulations and unnecessary administrative processes.

He said measures were also being taken to rationalize tariffs and eliminate unnecessary regulations, while the Regulatory Guillotine was being used to remove redundant laws and regulations that created unnecessary burdens for businesses.

Haroon Akhtar Khan said industrialists needed a policy and business environment where decisions were made in a timely manner and unnecessary hurdles did not obstruct the investment process.

“Instead of spending time navigating permits and complicated procedures, businesses should be able to focus on investment, innovation, new product development, improving productivity and accessing global markets,” he said.

He said the government remained in continuous engagement with industry and the business community to address their concerns and remove obstacles to industrial growth.

The Prime Minister’s Advisor said Pakistan’s textile industry could no longer rely solely on low costs to compete in global markets. Quality, modern technology, design, sustainability, innovation and timely delivery must become integral components of its competitiveness strategy.

He said the preferences of global buyers were changing and price was no longer the only decisive factor. Quality, sustainability, product traceability, modern designs, environmental standards and delivery timelines had become increasingly important factors in international trade.

He said Pakistan possessed a complete and integrated textile ecosystem, ranging from cotton production to yarn, fabric, processing, finished garments and other textile products. However, the real challenge was to generate greater value from this existing ecosystem and align it with modern global requirements.

Investment in modern machinery, technology, skilled human resources, research and development and industrial training could significantly enhance the productivity and global competitiveness of Pakistan’s textile industry, he added.

Haroon Akhtar Khan emphasized that Pakistan needed to focus more on exporting finished and value-added products instead of relying primarily on raw material exports.

“Pakistan must not only export cotton, yarn and other basic products but also develop products incorporating greater labour, technology, design and brand value so that Pakistani products command higher prices in international markets and generate greater foreign exchange earnings for the country,” he said.

He said Pakistan must move beyond being merely a supplier to international brands and develop its own Pakistani brands.

“When Pakistani cotton reaches international markets, it should carry with it Pakistani technology, design, manufacturing and brand value as well,” he said.

He added that Pakistan’s textile industry had the potential to develop globally competitive brands, and this potential needed to be strengthened through research, innovation, marketing and quality enhancement.

The Prime Minister’s Advisor said competitive energy prices, taxation, refunds, financing and trade facilitation were among the major concerns of the industrial sector and the government was taking measures to address them.

He said competitive energy pricing was particularly important for industry because production costs had a direct impact on the competitiveness of Pakistani products in international markets. Similarly, timely refunds, accessible financing and trade facilitation played an important role in enhancing industrial production and export capacity.