PRGMEA for lifting ban on N-95, surgical masks' exports as regional competitors allow it.

Lahore -- The Pakistan Readymade Garments Manufacturers and Exporters Association Chief Coordinator Ijaz A Khokhar has asked the government to lift ban on export of N-95 as well as the surgical masks, as the foreign buyers are now additionally demanding these two masks along with personal protective equipment (PPEs).

The garment exporters are jumping in this export and have already applied for the CE and FDA certifications for the export of health-related items to the EU countries and the USA respectively, showing their long-term planning in this PPE exports.

Ijaz A Khokhar said that it is also a great opportunity for cash-strapped SMEs, which represents more than 90 percent of around 3.2 million business enterprises in Pakistan, contributing 40 percent to the GDP, employing over 80 percent of non-agricultural workforce, and generating 25 percent of export earnings. While the garment sectors' SMEs need not any huge investment to produce the masks, besides additional benefit of employing a huge number of female staff, he added.

PRGMEA chief coordinator appreciated the government for lifting ban on export of PPEs, as the garment industry has already switched over to the production to Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs) to capture demanding market share. 'We are thankful to the federal minister Abdul Razaq Dawood for putting up this issue and got it approved by PM Imran Khan and its cabinet, paving the way to fetch an additional $2 billion foreign exchange through export of PPEs within in this current fiscal year.

PRGMEA regional chairman Sohail A. Sheikh observed that the apparel sector wants to grab the maximum share by exporting the PPEs, especially the surgical and N-95 masks, as our regional competitors are already enjoying to exports all PPE products including surgical and N-95 masks from their respective countries. But Pakistan has the edge because the international buyers have shown their interest in Pakistan products due to its high quality and competitive cost as compared to the regional...