LAHORE - The manufacturers and exporters of knitwear garment have planned to implement the environmental laws in their factories within one year through technical support of Punjab Environment Protection Department. In a meeting with Punjab Environment Protection Department, details were worked out and a plan of action was devised to complete the full compliance of required national and international standards within one year.
The meeting was chaired by Dr Zafar Nasrullah, Secretary Environment, and was attended by Syeda Malaika, Director General, Syed Naseem ur Rehman, Director and Adil Butt, xhairman of PHMA, besides a large number of stakeholders.
Environment secretary Dr. Zafar Nasrullah, addressing the meeting, said that the Environment Protection Department is providing necessary guidance and technical support to the industry so that technically sound and cost effective solutions could be provided to the industry.
Apart from technical support, the Department is also prepared to create linkage with financial institutions and banks to provide soft loans to the industry. Secretary Environment encouraged the industry representatives and assured them of full support to comply with the environment laws.
PHMA chairman Adil Butt assured that the Association stands with the government and the industry comes up to the mark with regard to the compliance. He also pledged to work as a bridge between government and the industry to build a positive image of the country in the international markets.
He said that knitwear garment export industry stands at number one in foreign exchange earnings for the country besides being the largest employment provider to the workers.
The large scale industrial units as well as a number of SMEs are, by and large, compliant of Environment standards while the remaining are on the way of compliance process, he added. He said that the industry stakeholders are joining the campaign of implementation of required standards so that they could well compete in the international market.