Pakistan's new textile policy (2014-19) has not enthused the industry. One refrain is that the government has failed to ensure uninterrupted supply of utilities including power and gas under the new policy.

Stakeholders have urged authorities to review the policy and prioritise export sector with respect to provision of utilities as well as incorporating the industry's proposals to make them more competitive internationally. They further emphasise on the need to implement the policy in letter and spirit if the required targets are to be achieved including a 100 per cent increase in value addition over the next five years. Small and medium enterprises, which account for 97 per cent of the entire industry, say they have been totally ignored in the new policy.

The policy has come after a delay of over seven months and it has no aggressive marketing plans to attract foreign buyers. Schemes like a drawback of local taxes and levies announced in the new policy were also part of the previous policy.

Textile mills say there is no protection of raw material in the policy. They say the government must give more incentives with respect to subsidies and utilities to make it more competitive in the region.