Bangladesh workers' wages rise in 6 grades
RMG workers' pay structure revised after PM's directive amid unrest for eight days

https://www.thedailystar.net/business/bangladesh-garment-workers-sa...

After eight days of labour unrest, the government yesterday announced a revised pay structure, with a slight increase in both basic and gross wages in six of the seven grades in the RMG sector.

In the new pay scale, which comes after years, the yearly increment has been fixed at 5 percent.

Workers had been demanding pay raise in three grades in particular -- grade 3, 4 and 5.

The decision came following directives of the prime minister after an event-packed day, on which workers continued their protests, factory owners threatened to shut down their units and a tripartite committee held almost a daylong meeting to reach a consensus on the hike.

The meeting of the 20-member committee, which has representation of the workers, owners and the government, approved wage increase in grade 1-6. The hike ranges from a token Tk 15 to a modest Tk 747.

The raise is effective from December last year and will be adjusted from February.

The gross pay in grade 7 remains unchanged at Tk 8,000, which was Tk 5,300 in the previous pay structure announced in 2013. 

The government will publish a new gazette of the revised wage in the next three to four days, said Labour and Employment Secretary Afroza Khan, who heads the tripartite committee.

The committee was considering pay hikes in the three “most problematic” grades -- 3, 4 and 5.

But at a meeting at Gono Bhaban on Saturday night, Sheikh Hasina instructed officials to revise the latest pay structure, originally announced in September last year, for all grades, sources said.

The workers will receive the arrear with their pay for February, Commerce Minister Tipu Munshi told reporters after the meeting.

“We were mainly concerned about the pay in grade 3, 4 and 5. But we eventually revised the wages six grades so workers get a little more,” he said, announcing the decision at a press conference at the ministry.

Amirul Haque Amin, president of the National Garment Workers Federation, said, “We welcome the revision and the new wage structure.”

He was speaking on behalf of the trade union leaders who are on the tripartite committee.

Reaction among the workers were mixed.

Alamgir Kabir, who works at a Ha-Meem Group factory, said he was happy and that he would join work today.

Another worker, however, said he was not satisfied. But still he would go back to work, if his colleagues did so.

Incidents of labour unrest over the pay structure made headlines in early December, just two months after the pay package was announced.

That protest died down ahead of the general election.

However, when workers drew their salary for January, they spotted a huge disparity -- in some cases, their gross wages came down instead of going up, triggering the latest bout of protest.

After yesterday's announcement, trade union leaders hope the workers will join work.

“We, the trade union orgainsations, do not approve of the anarchy that we have seen over the last few days,” said Amirul of the National Garment Workers Federation.

He also said they would have no objection if the government took action against any wrongdoers.

“We are requesting the workers to go back to work from tomorrow [today]. We are also calling them to cooperate with the factory managements so they can make up for the loss incurred in the last few days,” he said.

Meanwhile, BGMEA President Siddiqur Rahman yesterday threatened to shut down all factories if the workers did not join work.

"No work, no pay," he told an emergency press conference at the BGMEA office.

Police use water cannon to disperse workers in Ashulia's Jamgora area on January 12, 2019. Star file photo

UNREST CONTINUES

At least 10 garment workers were injured in clashes with police during protest in different areas of Ashulia on Dhaka-Tangail highway yesterday. 

The protestors vandalised at least five vehicles, burned tyres and wooden objects on the road, halting traffic for around one and a half hours.

The protest for pay hike continued for the 8th day yesterday, even as a tripartite committee representing workers, owners and the government sat in a meeting to consider their demand.

Protestors at Jamgara and Narsinghpur said they would not leave the streets until the government announced the revised wage structure.

They began their demonstration in the area around 8:00am, blocking a number of roads.

Police quickly rushed to the spots and charged batons to clear the roads. Police also used water cannons and teargas shells on them.

Vehicular movement was halted until 9:30am, creating a huge tailback.

“We dispersed the workers by firing teargas and using water cannons as they blocked at least 10 points of the highway and its adjacent roads,” said Sana Shaminur Rahman, superintendent of Dhaka Industrial Police-1.

At least 50 factories in Ashulia area were closed as workers of these factories continued their protests.

In Gazipur, most factories were closed because of the unrest. 

As a result, the sector is incurring a huge loss, said owners and officials of several factories.

[Our Savar and Gazipur correspondents contributed to the report.]

Rise of #Bangladesh. CLSA's Chris Wood believes Bangladesh's reliance on #garments sector is obstacle to future growth as it faces the risk of lower #wage alternatives in #Africa, #automation & loss of duty-free #market access when it loses #LDC status. https://asia.nikkei.com/Spotlight/Cover-Story/The-rise-and-rise-of-... 

"Exiting LDC status gives us some kind of strength and confidence, which is very important, not only for political leaders but also for the people," she (Shaikh Hasina) told the Nikkei Asian Review in an exclusive interview in December. "When you are in a low category, naturally when you discuss terms of projects and programs, you must depend on others' mercy. But once you have graduated, you don't have to depend on anyone because you have your own rights."

Hasina says Bangladesh's strong economic growth will not just continue, but accelerate. "In the next five years, we expect annual growth to exceed 9% and, we hope, get us to 10% by 2021," she said.

"I always shoot for a higher rate," she laughs. "Why should I predict lower?"

On many fronts, Bangladesh's economic performance has indeed exceeded even government targets. With a national strategy focused on manufacturing -- dominated by the garment industry -- the country has seen exports soar by an average annual rate of 15-17% in recent years to reach a record $36.7 billion in the year through June. They are on track to meet the government's goal of $39 billion in 2019, and Hasina has urged industry to hit $50 billion worth by 2021 to mark the 50th anniversary of what Bangladeshis call their Liberation War.

A vast community of about 2.5 million Bangladeshi overseas workers further buoys the economy with remittances that jumped an annual 18% to top $15 billion in 2018. But Hasina also knows the country needs to move up the industrial value chain. Political and business leaders echo her ambitions to shift from the old model of operating as a low-cost manufacturing hub partly dependent on remittances and international aid.

To that end, Hasina launched a "Digital Bangladesh" strategy in 2009 backed by generous incentives. Now Dhaka, the nation's capital, is home to a small but growing technology sector led by CEOs who talk boldly about "leapfrogging" neighboring India in IT. Pharmaceutical manufacturing -- another Indian staple -- is also on the rise.

Behind the impressive numbers and bold ambitions, however, are daunting hurdles ranging from structural problems to deep political divisions, which have come to the fore ahead of national elections on Dec. 30.

Bangladeshi politics have been dominated for years by the bitter rivalry between Hasina and former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, whose family histories go back to opposing sides of the liberation struggle, when Bangladesh was known as East Pakistan. Both women have been in and out of power -- and prison -- over the past three decades. Khaleda Zia, who chairs the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party, is in jail on corruption charges that she says are false.

Since 1981, Hasina has led the ruling Awami League, founded by her father, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the country's first president, who was killed by army personnel along with most of his family in 1975. The party enjoyed strong support in some past elections. But opposition activists and human rights groups have voiced concern about potential polling fraud and intimidation tactics. After two consecutive five-year terms for the ruling party, analysts point to a palpable "anti-incumbency" sentiment among some voters. Yet from an economic standpoint, many agree that a ruling party victory would support further development.

"If the polling passes without too much strife and the status quo is maintained, then [Bangladesh] would seem an attractive long-term story," said Christopher Wood, managing director and chief strategist at Hong Kong-based brokerage CLSA.

https://asia.nikkei.com/Spotlight/Cover-Story/The-rise-and-rise-of-...

DHAKA -- Bangladesh defies economic and political gravity. Since its 1971 war of independence with Pakistan, the country has been known for its tragedies: wrenching poverty, natural disasters and now one of the world's biggest refugee crises, after the influx of 750,000 Rohingya Muslims fleeing persecution in neighboring Myanmar.

Yet, with remarkably little international attention, Bangladesh has also become one of the world's economic success stories. Aided by a fast-growing manufacturing sector -- its garment industry is second only to China's -- Bangladesh's economy has averaged above 6% annual growth for nearly a decade, reaching 7.86% in the year through June.

From mass starvation in 1974, the country has achieved near self-sufficiency in food production for its 166 million-plus population. Per capita income has risen nearly threefold since 2009, reaching $1,750 this year. And the number of people living in extreme poverty -- classified as under $1.25 per day -- has shrunk from about 19% of the population to less than 9% over the same period, according to the World Bank.

Earlier this year, Bangladesh celebrated a pivotal moment when it met United Nations criteria for graduating from "least developed country" status by 2024. To Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, the elevation to "developing economy" means a significant boost to the nation's self-image.

"Exiting LDC status gives us some kind of strength and confidence, which is very important, not only for political leaders but also for the people," she told the Nikkei Asian Review in an exclusive interview in December. "When you are in a low category, naturally when you discuss terms of projects and programs, you must depend on others' mercy. But once you have graduated, you don't have to depend on anyone because you have your own rights."

Despite its automation push, Giant Group still employs thousands of workers. (Photo by Akira Kodaka)

Hasina says Bangladesh's strong economic growth will not just continue, but accelerate. "In the next five years, we expect annual growth to exceed 9% and, we hope, get us to 10% by 2021," she said.

"I always shoot for a higher rate," she laughs. "Why should I predict lower?"

On many fronts, Bangladesh's economic performance has indeed exceeded even government targets. With a national strategy focused on manufacturing -- dominated by the garment industry -- the country has seen exports soar by an average annual rate of 15-17% in recent years to reach a record $36.7 billion in the year through June. They are on track to meet the government's goal of $39 billion in 2019, and Hasina has urged industry to hit $50 billion worth by 2021 to mark the 50th anniversary of what Bangladeshis call their Liberation War.

A vast community of about 2.5 million Bangladeshi overseas workers further buoys the economy with remittances that jumped an annual 18% to top $15 billion in 2018. But Hasina also knows the country needs to move up the industrial value chain. Political and business leaders echo her ambitions to shift from the old model of operating as a low-cost manufacturing hub partly dependent on remittances and international aid.

To that end, Hasina launched a "Digital Bangladesh" strategy in 2009 backed by generous incentives. Now Dhaka, the nation's capital, is home to a small but growing technology sector led by CEOs who talk boldly about "leapfrogging" neighboring India in IT. Pharmaceutical manufacturing -- another Indian staple -- is also on the rise.

The government is now implementing an ambitious scheme to build a network of 100 special economic zones around the country, 11 of which have been completed while 79 are under construction.

The concept neatly capitalizes on Bangladesh’s record population density, leveraging what Faisal Ahmed, chief economist at Bangladesh Bank, calls the “density dividend. “The proximity of our population also helped us design and spread social and economic ideas such as microfinance and low-cost health care. But we need to better manage our scarce land resources, and part of the answer is to develop well-functioning industrial parks and SEZs,” he said.

Behind the impressive numbers and bold ambitions, however, are daunting hurdles ranging from structural problems to deep political divisions, which have come to the fore ahead of national elections on Dec. 30.

Bangladeshi politics have been dominated for years by the bitter rivalry between Hasina and former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, whose family histories go back to opposing sides of the liberation struggle, when Bangladesh was known as East Pakistan. Both women have been in and out of power -- and prison -- over the past three decades. Khaleda Zia, who chairs the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party, is in jail on corruption charges that she says are false.

Since 1981, Hasina has led the ruling Awami League, founded by her father, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the country's first president, who was killed by army personnel along with most of his family in 1975. The party enjoyed strong support in some past elections. But opposition activists and human rights groups have voiced concern about potential polling fraud and intimidation tactics. After two consecutive five-year terms for the ruling party, analysts point to a palpable "anti-incumbency" sentiment among some voters. Yet from an economic standpoint, many agree that a ruling party victory would support further development.

"If the polling passes without too much strife and the status quo is maintained, then [Bangladesh] would seem an attractive long-term story," said Christopher Wood, managing director and chief strategist at Hong Kong-based brokerage CLSA.

The crowded streets of Dhaka (Photo by Akira Kodaka)

A shopping mall in Dhaka: Bangladesh is on track to become a "developing country" in 2024. (Photo by Akira Kodaka)

Speaking at her official residence in central Dhaka, the prime minister rejected local and international criticism of creeping authoritarianism. Her party, she insisted, is "committed to protecting democracy in Bangladesh."

Business seems largely on the ruling party's side -- if only for stability's sake. In recent interviews in Dhaka, executives and political analysts dismissed suggestions that political turbulence could derail the country's growth trajectory.

"We feel relieved that all political parties are participating in the elections," said Faruque Hassan, managing director of Giant Group, a leading garment manufacturer, and senior vice president of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association. "We feel positive that despite political differences we can continue to keep economic issues separate -- although we know that without political stability you can't grow, and you could scare international customers."

Tailoring its industrial policy

The ready-made garment industry is a key factor in the country's phenomenal success story. The industry is the country's largest employer, providing about 4.5 million jobs, and accounted for nearly 80% of Bangladesh's total merchandise exports in 2018.

It has undergone seismic changes since the watershed Rana Plaza disaster in 2013, when a multi-story garment factory complex collapsed, killing more than 1,130 workers. In the aftermath, the industry was forced by international apparel brands to implement sweeping reforms, including factory upgrades, inspections and improved worker conditions.

A visit to one of Giant Group's gleaming factories brings home the industry's rapidly changing dynamics. In a vast room a handful of workers oversees a fully automated operation that feeds fabric and thread into a huge machine that cuts, stitches and turns out finished garments. In another space nearby, about 300 workers, mostly women, operate machines that embroider and add applique to garments.

Giant Group has introduced a high level of automation at its garment factories. (Photo by Akira Kodaka)

Giant Group says it aims to move into more value-added areas, such as embroidery and high-performance materials. (Photo by AKira Kodaka)

"Our entire industry changed in just 90 seconds in April 2013, generally for the better," said Hassan of Giant. "We don't actually want 100% automation -- hopefully we can offset the impact by shifting more workers into value-added fields, applique, embroidery and so on."

Further investment is needed if Bangladesh's garment industry is to remain competitive.

"Bangladesh is still dominated by more basic products and cotton, whereas growth worldwide has been in man-made fibers. We need more investment in these areas, not to produce more cotton shirts," he said.

Bangladesh's textile industry could gain if China's garment exports are hit by a prolonged U.S.-China trade war. But other garment centers are also taking aim at a vulnerable China, including Vietnam, Turkey, Myanmar and Ethiopia.

Intensifying international competition has already sparked consolidation in Bangladesh's garment industry, reducing the number of factories by 22% in the last five years to 4,560, according to the BGMEA.

CLSA's Wood believes that Bangladesh's reliance on the garment sector is a potential obstacle to future growth. "This sector on a 10-year view faces the risk of cheap wage alternatives such as Africa, automation and the loss of duty-free market access if Bangladesh transitions from LDC status [as scheduled for 2024]," he said.

"For now the challenge is to develop other sectors, with pharmaceuticals and business process outsourcing being two areas of promise. But this will require much more foreign investment," he said.

FDI is not Bangladesh's strong point. While it nearly tripled during Hasina's nine years in office, from $961 million in fiscal 2008 to nearly $3 billion in the year to June 30, this compares poorly with other Asian countries, including Vietnam and Myanmar.

Government officials partly blame the country's consistently low rankings in the World Bank's annual "Ease of Doing Business" survey, which they fear deters foreign investors. The latest survey, issued in December, put Bangladesh at 176th of 190 countries, citing excessive red tape, poor infrastructure and transport.

The government has moved to streamline the investment process with the creation of a "one-stop" investor service intended to replicate similar services in Singapore and Vietnam. But this has yet to gain momentum.

More successful is Hasina's digital push. With her son, a U.S.-educated tech expert, as a key adviser, the program has introduced generous tax breaks for the information and communications technology sector and a sweeping scheme to build 12 high-tech parks across the country.

In Dhaka, a new generation of IT entrepreneurs talks about beating India -- which leapt onto the global map with its basic outsourcing industry -- by focusing on AI, robotics and disruptive technologies.

Bangladesh's exports of software and IT services reached nearly $800 million in the year to June 30 and are on track to exceed $1 billion this fiscal year. The government's target of reaching $5 billion in ICT-related exports by 2021 is "very, very challenging but achievable," said Habibullah Karim, CEO of software company Technohaven and a co-founder of the Bangladesh Association of Software & Information Services, an industry body.

"From $800 million to $5 billion is a sixfold increase in three years. That's tough in itself. The second challenge is that the global outsourcing market is actually shrinking," Karim said. "Many tasks, such as airline and hotel reservations and insurance claims ... are now fully automated."

There have been outstanding homegrown tech successes, such as ride-sharing service Pathao, which received a $2 million investment from Indonesian unicorn Go-Jek, and mobile financial services group bKash, in which Alipay, an arm of China's Alibaba Group Holding, took a 20% stake in April.

But go-ahead industries badly need more financing, said Khalid Quadir, CEO and co-founder of Brummer & Partners (Bangladesh), which manages Frontier Fund, the country's only private equity fund. He argues that innovation thrives on a strong private equity industry that can channel funds to promising companies and help them list.

After decades of turmoil, Bangladesh has become South Asia's fastest-growing economy. (Photo by Akira Kodaka)

Employees work at of Technohaven's office in Dhaka. (Photo by Akira Kodaka)

"We have invested nearly $200 million over the years in areas including communications infrastructure, garments and pharmaceuticals. It's a drop in the ocean compared to the growth opportunities on offer. But to attract more capital of this kind, regulation could be more investor-friendly," he said, citing three-year lockup provisions on investments in newly listed companies.

Shameem Ahsan, chairman of IT company eGeneration and a former head of BASIS, sees Bangladesh's tech niche at the cutting edge of IT. "Forty years ago, the garment industry started with a few companies. Now Bangladesh is exporting $30 billion-plus worth and is second only to China. We want to do the same thing in the IT industry," he said.

Bangladesh is hoping to challenge India in pharmaceuticals, too. With its "least developed country" status, the country has enjoyed a waiver on drug patents. This has fueled intensifying competition between India and Bangladesh in the field of generic and bulk drugs. Among local star performers is Incepta Pharmaceuticals, Bangladesh's second-largest generics maker, which exports to about 60 countries, and Popular Pharmaceuticals, which is eyeing an eventual listing.

"When you look at U.S. and Europe ... their manufacturing plants are closing and they are coming to Asia. Why? Because of quality, affordable drugs," said Syed Billah, senior general manager at Incepta. "We have the quality and recognition from international regulatory bodies, and are very good at finished products. But in [bulk drugs], we are far behind, and seeking technology for that from China."

One of Bangladesh's competitive disadvantages is its poor infrastructure, and the country has turned to China for help. Under its Belt and Road Initiative, China has financed various megaprojects in Bangladesh, including most of the nearly $4 billion Padma Bridge rail link, which will connect the country's southwest with the northern and eastern regions. In all, China has committed $38 billion in loans, aid and other assistance for Bangladesh.

China's heavy infrastructure investment has drawn criticism of its "debt diplomacy" in other countries, including Pakistan and Sri Lanka. But local economists dismiss such concerns.

"I don't think Bangladesh is being pulled too far into China's orbit like Pakistan or even Sri Lanka," said Faiz Sobhan, senior director of research at the Bangladesh Enterprise Institute, an independent think tank, noting that the country is also reliant on Japanese infrastructure investment.

Hasina said the government is taking a more proactive role in the financing alongside international partners such as China, Japan and international financial institutions. "We have undertaken to establish our own sovereign wealth fund, worth $10 billion, to bankroll long-term physical infrastructure development. This is possible because our foreign exchange reserves stand at more than $32 billion now, from $7.5 billion 10 years ago."

Chinese investors also bought 25% of the Dhaka Stock Exchange in 2018, and Bangladesh is now the second-largest importer of Chinese military hardware after Pakistan.

While some may question so much investment from Beijing, Hasina said it is simply a fact that China is set to play a bigger role in the region.

"Our foreign policy is very clear: friendly relations with everyone," she said. "What China and U.S. are doing, it is between them."

Additional reporting by Nikkei staff writers Mitsuru Obe and Yuji Kuronuma, and Dhaka contributor Abu Anas

World Bank's Poverty and Shared Poverty Report 2018 compares the annual income growth rate of the bottom 40% of the population with the average income growth of the entire population for 91 countries for years 2010-2015. Here's the data for a few selected countries:

Country Bottom 40% income growth vs Average Income Growth

Pakistan 2.7% vs 4.3%

Bangladesh 1.4% vs 1.5%

Iran 1.3% vs -1.3%

Indonesia 4.8% vs 4.8%

Sri Lanka 4.8% vs 5.3%

Vietnam 5.2% vs 3.8%

Thailand 5.0% vs 3.0%

Malaysia 8.3% vs 6.0%

China 9.1% vs 7.4%


http://www.worldbank.org/en/publication/poverty-and-shared-prosperity


People experience poverty differently even within the same household. Traditional measures haven’t been able to capture variations because the surveys stop at the household level. Measuring poverty as experienced by individuals requires considering how resources are shared among family members. While data are limited, there is evidence that women and children are disproportionately affected by poverty in many — but not all — countries. Sex differences in poverty are largest during the reproductive years, when, because of social norms, women face strong trade-offs between reproductive care and domestic responsibilities on the one hand and income-earning activities on the other hand. Worldwide, 104 women live in poor households for every 100 men. However, in South Asia, 109 women live in poor households for every 100 men. Children are twice as likely as adults to live in poor households. This primarily reflects the fact that the poor tend to live in large households with more children. 

There is evidence from studies in several countries that resources are not shared equally within poor households, especially when it comes to more prized consumption items. There is also evidence of complex dynamics at work within households that go beyond gender and age divides. More surveys are needed to capture consumption patterns of individuals so that governments can implement policies to bridge the inequalities within households.

1000s of #Bangladesh #garment workers clash with police. Min #wages rose by a little over 50% this month to 8,000 taka ($95) a month. But mid-level tailors said their rise was paltry and failed to reflect the rising costs of living, especially in housing. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/jan/14/bangladesh-strikes-th...

Thousands of garment workers in Bangladesh who make clothes for top global brands have clashed with police as strike action over low wages entered a second week.

Police said water cannon and tear gas were fired on Sunday to disperse huge crowds of striking factory workers in Savar, a garment hub just outside the capital, Dhaka.

“The workers barricaded the highway. We had to drive them away to ease traffic conditions,” said police director Sana Shaminur Rahman. “So far 52 factories, including some big ones, have shut down operations due to the protests.”

On Tuesday, one worker was killed when police fired rubber bullets and tear gas at 5,000 protesting workers.

Bangladesh is dependent on garments stitched by millions of low-paid tailors on factory floors across the emerging south Asia economy of 165 million people.

Roughly 80% of its export earnings come from clothing sales abroad, with global retailers H&M, Primark, Walmart, Tesco and Aldi among the main buyers.

Union leader Aminul Islam blamed factory owners for resorting to violence to control striking workers. “But they are more united than ever,” he told AFP. “It doesn’t seem like they will leave the streets, until their demands are met.”

The protests are the first major test for prime minister Sheikh Hasina since winning a fourth term in last month’s elections, which were marred by violence, thousands of arrests and allegations of vote rigging and intimidation.

Late on Sunday, the government announced a pay rise for mid-level factory workers after meeting manufacturers and unions. Not all unions have signalled they will uphold the agreement.

Babul Akhter, a union leader present at the meeting, said the deal should appease striking workers. “They should not reject it, and peacefully return to work,” he said.

Minimum wages for the lowest-paid garment workers rose by a little over 50% this month to 8,000 taka ($95) a month. But mid-level tailors said their rise was paltry and failed to reflect the rising costs of living, especially in housing.

Bangladesh’s 4,500 textile and clothing factories shipped more than $30bn worth of apparel last year.

The Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters’ Association, which wields huge political influence, warned all factories might shut if tailors did not return to work immediately. “We may follow the ‘no work, no pay’ theory, according to the labour law,” association president Siddikur Rahman told reporters.

Last year Bangladesh was the second-largest global apparel exporter after China. It has plans to expand the sector into a $50bn-a-year industry by 2023.

But despite their role in transforming the impoverished nation into a major manufacturing hub, garment workers remain some of the lowest paid in the world.

Access to #electricity: #Pakistan 99%, #India 84%, #Bangladesh 76%. Source: World Bank 2016

https://twitter.com/theworldindex/status/1085029776556023808

#Foreign direct #investment (FDI) in #Pakistan hits six-month high. #FDI increased 17% to $319.2 million in Dec 2018 compared to $272.8 million in Dec, 2017. It's the second consecutive month that the FDI inflow rose in FY2018-19 https://tribune.com.pk/story/1889903/2-foreign-direct-investment-pa...

Pakistan achieved a six-month high foreign investment in different productive sectors of the economy in December 2018 after the country finished a year-long exercise of letting the rupee depreciate against the US dollar to create an equilibrium.

Foreign direct investment (FDI) increased 17% to $319.2 million in December 2018 compared to $272.8 million in the same month last year, the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) reported on Wednesday.

This is also for the second consecutive month that the FDI has continued to surge on a month-on-month basis.
“The pending rupee devaluation was one of the biggest concerns of foreign direct investors. Now when Pakistan has addressed the concern, it has regained foreign investors’ trust on the country,” Overseas Investors Chamber of Commerce and Industry (OICCI) Secretary General M Abdul Aleem told The Express Tribune.

Despite heavy inflow from China, FDI fails to pick up in FY18

The SBP has devalued the rupee by a whopping 32% in the last 13 months to Rs138.90 to the US dollar on Wednesday.

Besides, the political uncertainty linked to the July 2018 general elections has come to an end and investors have gradually built trust on the recently installed government in the country as well, he added.

In the recent months, the foreigners squeezed investment in wait for clarity on economic policies of the new government. “The government has taken tough decisions over rupee devaluation and (key) interest rate hike. The initiatives have apparently won the investors’ confidence,” he said.

Unlink the previous five months when China remained the only healthy foreign investor in Pakistan, Netherlands and Norway also appeared as significant foreign direct investors in December 2018, according to SBP.

China alone has invested net FDI worth $120.6 million in December, while Norway and Netherlands have appeared as the second and third largest investor with $65.2 million and $47.6 million, respectively.

Sector-wise, it was financial business which attracted the single highest investment worth $137.3 million in the month. This was followed by chemicals with $50.9 million and construction $45.1 million.

Cumulatively in the first six months (July-December) of the current fiscal year, FDIs have dropped 19% to $1.31 billion compared to $1.63 billion in the same period last year.

“The investment attracted in the six months is not bad keeping in view the then political uncertainty and investors waited for clarity on the government economic policies,” Aleem said.

“However, the much-awaited jump in FDIs is yet to come,” he said.

Clarity and confidence on the new government are gradually increasing. “The full-year FDIs should be much higher than $2.8 billion achieved in the previous fiscal year (ended June 30, 2018),” he said.

“The country may attract more foreign investment in oil and gas exploration, telecom, consumer goods, and CPEC-related new investment,” said the official, adding that CPEC-related investments had slowed down over the last seven-eight months.

The total foreign investment, including portfolio investment and public and private external debt, has dropped by a whopping 77% to $899.5 million in the six months compared to $3.95 billion in the same period last year.

The massive drop is seen due to adjustment of the debt Pakistan raised through sale of Sukuk and Eurobond worth $2.5 billion November 2017. The government has not raised debt during July-December 2018 period.

#Pakistan wriggles out of #IMF clutches. As a result, in geopolitical terms, #Washington’s capacity to leverage Pakistani policies is significantly diminishing. #Saudi-Pak ties are moving on to new level of dynamism. https://indianpunchline.com/pakistan-wriggles-out-of-imf-clutches/

Without doubt, this is a major development in the region. The Saudi-Pakistan relationship, which has been traditionally close and fraternal, is moving on to a new level of dynamism. The Saudi investment decision can be taken as signifying a vote of confidence in the Pakistani economy as well as in Prime Minister Imran Khan’s leadership. It comes on top of the $6 billion package that Saudi Arabia had pledged last year (which included help to finance crude imports) to help Pakistan tide over the current economic difficulties.

The visiting Saudi minister Khalid al-Falih told reporters in Gwadar, “Saudi Arabia wants to make Pakistan’s economic development stable through establishing an oil refinery and partnership with Pakistan in the China Pakistan Economic Corridor.” This remark highlights that Saudi Arabia is openly linking up with the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). China has welcomed this development, but countries that oppose the CPEC such as the US and India will feel disappointed.

From the Indian perspective, the Saudi investment in Gwadar becomes a game changer for the port city, which was struggling to gain habitation and a name. Inevitably, comparisons will be drawn with Chabahar. India has an added reason to feel worried that its Ratnagiri Refinery project, which has been described as the “world’s largest refinery-cum-petrochemical project” is spluttering due to the agitation by farmers against land acquisition. The Saudi Aramco was considering an investment in the project on the same scale as in Gwadar. Will Gwadar get precedence over Ratnagiri in the Saudi priorities? That should be the question worrying India.

The Saudi energy minister disclosed that Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman will be visiting Pakistan in February and the agreement on the Gwadar project is expected to be signed at that time. Of course, it signifies that Saudi Arabia is prioritizing the relations with Pakistan. The fact remains that Saudi Arabia has come under immense pressure of isolation following the killing of Jamal Khashoggi.

There is much uncertainty about the dependability of the US as an ally and security provider. Riyadh is diversifying its external relations and a pivot to Asia is under way. Suffice to say, under the circumstances, a China-Pakistan-Saudi axis should not look too far-fetched. There is also some history behind it.

To be sure, Iran will be watching the surge in Saudi-Pakistani alliance with growing trepidation. The Saudi presence in Pakistan’s border region with Iran (such as Gwadar) has security implications for Tehran. Iran has been facing cross-border terrorism.

#American #agribusiness giant Cargill to grow #Pakistan business with US$200 million investment for expansion across its #agriculture trading and supply chain, edible #oils, #dairy, #meat and animal feed businesses while ensuring safety, food traceability. https://www.thenews.com.pk/latest/420270-cargill-to-grow-pakistan-b...

Cargill renewed its long standing commitment to Pakistan by announcing plans to invest more than US$200 million in the next three-to-five years.

The announcement was made soon after Cargill’s global executive team, led by Marcel Smits, head of Global Strategy and Chairman, Cargill Asia Pacific region, and Gert-Jan van den Akker, president, Cargill Agricultural Supply Chain, met with the Prime Minister Imran Khan and other senior government officials to discuss the company’s future investment plans.

Being a global food and agriculture producer with a strong focus on Asia, Cargill aims to partner on Pakistan’s growth by bringing its global expertise and investment into the country.

The company’s strategy includes expansion across its agricultural trading and supply chain, edible oils, dairy, meat and animal feed businesses while ensuring safety and food traceability.

Cargill will bring world class innovations to support the flourishing dairy industry in Pakistan, which is already moving toward modernization, as well as the rising demand for edible oils backed by evolving consumption patterns and a growing market for animal feed driven by sustained progress made by the poultry industry in Pakistan.

Cargill’s proposed investments will support Pakistan’s overall economic development and contribute to local employment.

The visiting delegation informed the Prime Minister that M/s Cargill intended to invest in Pakistan as back as 2012 but were discouraged by mismanagement, corruption and non-availability of level playing field during the previous governments. However, investor’s confidence has restored after the incumbent Government and the policies being pursued by it.

The prime minister welcomed investment plans of M/s Cargill in the area of agriculture development, import substitution and enhancement of agricultural products.

He highlighted the efforts of the government towards ensuring transparency, providing the business community with level playing field and improving ease of doing business in the country.

The PM assured the delegation full support from the government.

#Egyptian billionaire Naguib Sawiris offers to build 100,000 housing units in #Pakistan as part of #PMImranKhan’s Naya Pakistan #housing initiative. http://www.arabnews.pk/node/1437706/pakistan


Egyptian billionaire Naguib Sawiris has offered to build 100,000 housing units in Pakistan to help realize Prime Minister Imran Khan’s dream of an ‘ambitious’ housing project, officials said on Friday.
“Naguib Sawiris has expressed his will to invest in 100,000 units of affordable housing to help prime minister (Imran Khan) in his vision toward Pakistan,” Tarek Hamdy, Chief Executive officer of Elite Estates — a partnership between Ora Developer and Saif Holding — told Arab News in an exclusive interview. 
Owned by Sawiris, Ora Developers is already engaged in the construction of a multibillion-dollar housing scheme named ‘Eighteen’ which was launched in 2017 in Islamabad with local partners, Saif Group and Kohistan Builders.
Sawiris’ first investment in Pakistan was in Mobilink, a cellular operator.
PM Khan in October 2018 had launched ‘Naya’ (New) Pakistan Housing Project in line with his party’s election manifesto, which promised fivr million houses for the poor.
Hamdy says they have “set rules or guidelines of the way of doing things” that apply to every real estate projects — whether they are affordable or high value units.
“We will use our experience and knowhow to deliver this properly to the people of Pakistan,” he added.
Since the announcement of the low-cost housing project for the poor, the scheme has been at the heart of all political and economic discourses with several calling it too ambitious.
“This scheme is very ambitious yet very promising for the people of Pakistan. I think all the developers should help in this scheme. You cannot solely rely on the government to build five million houses,” Hamdy said. 
Recently, the governor of Pakistan’s central bank had said that the massive housing project would require financing of upto Rs 17 trillion.
Hamdy believes that the promise of building five million affordable housing units cannot be realized in a short span of time. “I think the plan is right but it has to be in stages, has to be in steps. It could be achievable obviously that is not the project (to be achieved) in one or two years... may take few good years, may be couple of decades to be achieved,” he said.
In the Islamabad project the Ora Developers own a 60 percent stake in the project comprising a five-star hotel, 1,068 housing units, 921 residential apartments, business parks, hospitals, schools and other educational facilities and 13 office buildings, and a golf course. The networth of the project is $2 billion.
The next cities on the radar for real estate projects are Lahore, Karachi, and Faisalabad. “We intend to do more, we intend to invest more. I think that our portfolio of real estate could come to $10 billion worth of investments in the next five to 10 years including all the projects that we intent to do,” Hamdy said.
Pakistan’s housing sector is marred by frauds, scams and unfinished schemes which has been discouraging many potential investors from venturing into the sector. However, Hamdy says he is confident of delivering the promise by 2021.
Analysts say that Pakistan’s housing sector offers great opportunities for investment due to increasing demand. “According to estimates, the current real estate market value is around Rs900 billion which is three times that of the GDP,” Saad Hashmey, an analyst at Topline Securities, told Arab News, adding that the PM’s housing project is the need of the hour.
Pakistan faces a shortage of nearly 12 million housing units that may require a massive investment of around $180 billion, according to the former Chairman of the Association of Builders and Developers, Arif Yousuf Jeewa. 

Pakistan expects to attract more than $40 billion foreign direct investment in the next five years in oil refining, petrochemical, mining, renewable energy, and real estate sectors. “We estimate that roughly around $40 billion investment will be made by three countries (Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and China) during the next three to five years,” Pakistan Board of Investment BoI chief, Haroon Sharif had told Arab News earlier, adding that “the investment would start materializing within the next two years”.

#CPEC to play larger role in driving #Pakistan's #economy.Some #MiddleEast countries have showed an interest in investing in projects under the CPEC framework. #China #SaudiArabia #UAE #Qatar - Global Times http://www.globaltimes.cn/content/1136891.shtml#.XEs_8QZWl3U.twitter

China and Pakistan have decided to widen the scope of the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), the Economic Times reported, adding that the two countries have signed new agreements to launch industrial, agricultural and socio-economic projects under this initiative.

Why take this step at this very sensitive moment? In recent months, the project has been blamed for causing a debt trap and economic woes for Pakistan.

There is speculation that Pakistan's attitude toward the CPEC has caused dissatisfaction in China and that Beijing may be hesitant about continuing to offer loans for the project.

New projects will help reduce public misunderstanding of the CPEC. It's a flagship project of the China-proposed Belt and Road initiative. Although the project does face some difficulties, it is unlikely that China will change its supportive attitude on the CPEC.

China's efforts to push forward the CPEC won't be given up halfway. The CPEC has created an opportunity to support economic growth in the South Asian country, instead of an unbearable debt burden. Debt from China makes up only a small part of Pakistan's total burden.

The latest developments involving the CPEC add to evidence that the two countries believe the project will bring tangible benefits amid the current economic woes.

Several years after its launch, the CPEC has laid a foundation for sustainable economic development through infrastructure improvement. Perhaps now is the time to launch the second stage of the project to turn its focus to areas including industry, agriculture and socioeconomic projects, and further develop the Gwadar Port.

Some Middle East countries have showed an interest in investing in projects under the CPEC framework.

It is normal and natural for China and Pakistan to call for the accelerated development of the economic corridor and widen the scope of the project to attract more investment.

The CPEC's development may appear to slow down in the past few months, sparking concern that Beijing is hesitant about further investment. But it always takes time to discuss issues and details before drawing up detailed plans to launch a new stage of a project. At its second stage, the CPEC will play a bigger role in Pakistan's economy as the project focuses more on manufacturing and agriculture.

#Pakistan Central Bank expects slowdown in #economic growth to 4-4.5%. Corrective measures by #PTI government taken so far to fix the fundamentals have taken a toll mainly on two leading sectors – large-scale #manufacturing (LSM) and #agriculture. https://tribune.com.pk/story/1899685/2-sbp-expects-slowdown-economi...

“The 6.2% target for real GDP (gross domestic product) growth seems unachievable (in FY19),” the central bank said in its first-quarter report on the state of Pakistan’s economy for fiscal year 2018-19 issued on Tuesday.

The country hit a 13-year high economic growth of 5.8% in the previous fiscal year, but “at the cost of widening macroeconomic imbalances as manifested in the five-year high fiscal deficit and a record high current account deficit,” the central bank said earlier.

The LSM sector dropped 1.7% in the first quarter (July-September 2018) of the current fiscal year compared to 9.9% growth in the same quarter last year due to interest rate hikes, massive rupee depreciation against the US dollar and reduction in the government’s development budget.

Such measures were taken to fix the macroeconomic imbalances like the twin deficit. Simultaneously, they negatively impacted LSM and the agronomy.

“In fact, the large-scale manufacturing contracted for the first time in over seven years during Q1-FY19,” the SBP said in its first-quarter report. Furthermore, important budgetary measures such as the imposition of ban on high-value property and new car purchases by non-filers of tax returns restricted activity in these sectors. The government in the recent second mini-budget has, however, allowed the non-filers purchase of new cars up to 1,300cc.

Within the agriculture sector, preliminary estimates indicate that production of all major Kharif crops has remained lower compared to the last season.

“This decline can be attributed primarily to an alarming water availability situation, particularly in Sindh, which led to a 7.7% decline in the total area under production. Furthermore, crop yields also suffered due to subdued fertiliser offtake amidst rising prices of both urea and DAP,” the central bank said. The uptrend in international oil prices during the first quarter remained a big challenge for the economy as that resulted in an unwanted growth in the oil import bill. Pakistan meets around 70-80% of energy needs through imports.

Immediate challenges

Although the economy is responding to the stabilisation measures taken over the past few months, boosting foreign currency reserves and controlling inflation would remain the two near-term challenges to the economy, it said.

“Average inflation during Q1-FY19 increased to 5.6% – the highest quarterly growth since Q1-FY15,” it said. The SBP projected the inflation (Consumer Price Index) at 6.5-7.5% for the full fiscal year against the target of 6%.

Besides, narrowing down the continuously widening fiscal account deficit would remain a tough challenge for the economic managers. The fiscal deficit widened to Rs541.7 billion in the first quarter compared to Rs440.8 billion in the corresponding period of last year. “This was mainly because revenue collection could not keep pace with growing current expenditures.

“This increase came on the back of a steep rise in current spending (mainly debt servicing and defence), which more than offset marginal gains in the revenue collection,” the SBP said. The central bank projected the fiscal deficit at 5.5-6.5% in FY19 compared to the target of 4.9%.

Silver lining

The downturn in international oil prices has emerged as a blessing for the domestic economy. This is expected to help narrow down the current account deficit.

“The most important development has been the bearish spell in the global crude market that began in early October and ran through the rest of Q2-FY19. Oil prices have fallen by a quarter during this period and reached a year’s low level of $54 per barrel. This will lift some pressure from Pakistan’s oil import bill in at least the second quarter of the year,” the SBP said.

Faisalabad based Interloop, world’s biggest socks maker and supplier to Adidas and Nike, raised Rs 5 billion in an IPO at Karachi stock exchange today

https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/443994-interloop-ipo-raises-rs5-02...

Interloop Limited has successfully raised Rs5.025 billion through the largest private sector Initial Public Offering (IPO), placing itself among the top 50 companies listed on the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) by market capitalisation, the company said on Thursday.


The company that supplies foot-hosiery to global sportswear giants like Nike and Adidas said, the two-day book building process was oversubscribed by 1.37 times with the price closing at Rs46.10/share.

The total demand received was Rs6,727 million against total issue size of Rs 4,905 million, oversubscribed by Rs1,822 million or 1.37 times.

Arif Habib Limited is the consultant to issue for the IPO, while Ismail Iqbal Securities has been the book runners.

The Interloop offer has surpassed the previous record for a private company, when Pakistan Stock Exchange Ltd raised Rs4.5 billion two years ago. There have been larger sales by state-controlled companies in Pakistan.

Interloop is one of the world’s largest hosiery manufacturers and has an annual turnover in excess of Rs30 billion.

The company in a statement said one of the main objectives for the IPO was to expand hosiery production by opening a new plant and simultaneously and entry into the apparel business by opening a denim plant in Lahore, for which land had already been acquired.

Interloop Ltd., which makes socks for Nike and Adidas, is planning Pakistan’s biggest ever initial public offering by a private firm.

The company plans to raise as much as 6.8 billion rupees ($51 million) to expand its sock manufacturing capacity by around 20 percent and enter the denim business, said Chairman and Co-Founder Musadaq Zulqarnain. It will offer 12.5 percent of the business in the sale, likely to take place in January, and is aiming to lift revenue by 77 percent over five years, he said.

“Our capacity is already full,” Zulqarnain said in an interview at the company’s head office in Faisalabad. Interloop can see more growth, so will “take that risk” to expand, he said.

The listing comes as Prime Minister Imran Khan tries to spark an export revival to make up ground that Pakistan has lost to low-cost manufacturing destinations like Vietnam and Bangladesh. The new government has announced plans to cut gas and electricity prices to support companies selling abroad, although the push has been criticized for relying too much on subsidies.


The Interloop offer will surpass the previous record for a private company, when Pakistan Stock Exchange Ltd. raised 4.5 billion rupees two years ago. There have been larger sales by state-controlled companies in Pakistan.


https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-11-09/sock-supplier-fo...

#Pakistan All Set To Cross USD 15 billion Mark In #Textile #Exports. “The textile industry exports is likely to cross $15 billion mark in case it continues to grow by 10 percent on an average for the remaining period of current fiscal. 
https://www.textileexcellence.com/news/pakistan-all-set-to-cross-us...


Gohar Ejaz, patron in chief of APTMA (All Pakistan Textile Manufacturers Association) stressed that the availability of energy at regionally competitive price has boosted textile exports by 8.5% in the month of January 2019 on a y-o-y comparison in the corresponding period.

“The textile industry exports is likely to cross $15 billion mark in case it continues to grow by 10 percent on an average for the remaining period of current fiscal. It would likely be a record achievement of textile exports in such a short span of time. The exports of USD 3.5 billion yarn and fabric annually may boost textile exports to USD 14 billion in case closed capacity worth USD 3 billion exports is revived through the enablers ensured by the government,” pointed out Ejaz.

#Bangladesh #garment makers ask government to extend export subsidy after wage hike in Dec to sustain $30 billion #RMG #exports. Prices of readymade garments in 2018 were 7.4% lower in the U.S. market and 3.64% less in the European market than in 2012. https://reut.rs/2IpHCiG

Bangladesh’s garment makers have asked the government to extend a 5 percent export subsidy for the industry, saying they are being squeezed between low international prices for clothing and rising production costs.

The country’s garment industry, the world’s second biggest producer, currently receives a 5 percent cash incentive for exports but that is due to end on June 30.

Siddiqur Rahman, the president of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association, told reporters on Wednesday that without the subsidy, more garment makers would go out of business. The association says that 1,200 garment factories have closed down in Bangladesh in the past five years.

Siddiqur said another 5 percent cash incentive on exports would cost the government $1.67 billion.

Commerce Minister Tipu Munshi told Reuters that he would talk to the finance minister about including the proposal in the budget for the fiscal year beginning July 1.

“After the enhancement of wages since December last year there is a pressure to the owners and if they get some cash incentive that would be a relief,” said Tipu.

Siddiqur said that the prices of readymade garments in 2018 were 7.4 percent lower in the U.S. market and 3.64 percent less in the European market than they had been in 2012.

At the same time the manufacturers’ costs have been climbing, mainly driven by labour costs.

Last year, there was a big increase in the minimum wage for Bangladesh garment makers and that drove the costs of production higher.

Bangladesh earns about $30 billion annually by exporting readymade garments.

As U.S. President Donald Trump’s trade war against Beijing intensifies, American buyers are diversifying their supplier base away from China, the No. 1 exporter of these goods to the U.S. Already, Bangladesh is close to snatching the trousers-to-towel crown. Pakistan, at No. 6 last year, has grown its own shipments to the U.S. by almost 12% this year. It may overtake India, which has seen virtually no improvement.

The good news is that the Pakistani rupee has fallen by almost 20% since 2017. That’s virtually wiped out the currency’s overvaluation adjusted for inflation differences with trading partners, as estimated by the IMF. If the currency slides further and inflation doesn’t accelerate, Pakistani exports should receive a boost, provided global growth and cotton availability for the textile industry hold up.

https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2019-06-12/pakistan-flir...

Pakistan’s textile exports stagnant; RMG marks 3.2% growth
by Apparel Resources News-Desk
21-May-2019

https://apparelresources.com/business-news/trade/pakistans-textile-...

Mainstay of Pakistan’s economy, the textile industry of the country is in a sticky situation lately.

As per reports, in the first 10 months of the current fiscal year of 2018/19, textile exports from Pakistan remained flat at US $ 11.1 billion, as compared to the corresponding period of the previous year. And this despite Government’s various measures to boost exports.

However, on the positive side, export of readymade garments, bedwear and knitwear registered growth in the period under review.

As per data from Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS), export of RMG improved 3.2 per cent to US $ 2.1 billion, while export of knitwear exports increased by 7 per cent year-on-year to US $ 2.3 billion and, export of bedwear marked an increase of 2.4 per cent to US $ 1.9 billion.

Further, in this period, export of raw cotton declined drastically by 67.2 per cent to US $ 18.5 million while export of cotton yarn fell 15.7 per cent to US $ 941.3 million.

Exports of cotton cloth also reportedly fell 2.7 per cent to US $ 1.7 billion (in the July-April period of the current fiscal year).

It may be mentioned here that due to continuous devaluation of rupee (fell by around 20 per cent in last year alone), exporters are able to improve on their margins on exports but on the flipside cost of doing business has gone up significantly.

Asia labor costs and China manufacturing relocation impact considerations

https://www.ventureoutsource.com/contract-manufacturing/asia-labor-...
Below, the annual cost (average) per manufacturer worker in China, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Pakistan, Philippines, India, Vietnam per Japan external trade organization (JETRO).

Average annual cost of a manufacturing worker (US$, 2017)

China: $10,131
Thailand: $6,997
Malaysia: $5,900
Indonesia: $5,421
Pakistan: $4,379
Philippines: $4,102
India: $3,982
Vietnam: $3,673 

#Asia #Pacific trade pact can go on without #India 'for the time being' as China grows impatient with the slow progress on the #RCEP talks. #Malaysian PM Mahathir proposes going ahead with just 13 countries — without #India, #Australia and #NewZealand. https://cnb.cx/2L91HdL

Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad said on Saturday that he’s willing to conclude a mega Asia-Pacific trade agreement without India “for the time being.”

Mahathir was referring to the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, or RCEP, which involves 16 countries in Asia Pacific. Negotiations have been going on since 2013, with one of the major sticking points being India’s reluctance to open up its markets.

A recent report by Nikkei Asian Review said China, growing impatient with the slow progress on RCEP talks, proposed going ahead with just 13 countries — removing India, Australia and New Zealand from the deal.

The 16 countries involved in RCEP are the 10 Southeast Asian nations and six of their large trading partners: China, Japan, South Korea, India, Australia and New Zealand. If the agreement is finalized, the 16 countries will form a major trading bloc that covers around one-third of the world’s gross domestic product.

GP 190621 Containers at Lianyungang Port
Aerial view of shipping containers sitting stacked at Lianyungang Port on June 3, 2019 in Lianyungang, Jiangsu Province of China.
Wang Jianmin | Visual China Group | Getty Images
In an interview with CNBC’s Tanvir Gill, Mahathir acknowledged the hurdles in reaching a deal among the 16 countries.

“I think we will work towards it. It’s quite difficult because we are competing economies ... we’re competing with each other and from there, to go on to work together requires some radical change in our mindset. That will take time,” he said in Bangkok, Thailand, where he’s attending a summit for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

In the end, we have to stop this trade war and certainly not to escalate (it).
Mahathir Mohamad
MALAYSIAN PRIME MINISTER
The Malaysian leader added that RCEP participants will have to consider which framework works best: China’s proposed 13-nation deal or the original one involving all 16 countries.

“But I think I would prefer 13 ... for the time being,” he said, suggesting he’s open to having India, Australia and New Zealand joining the pact in the future.

Trade war escalation
Several participating countries of RCEP have expressed hopes of coming to an agreement by the end of this year, as they say the U.S.-China tariff fight has brought fresh urgency to wrap up talks in Asia Pacific.

U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping are expected to meet later this month at the G-20 summit in Japan. But Mahathir — like many who follow the developments closely — said he doesn’t expect much to come out of that meeting.

Taking sides in the trade war will be a ‘disaster for the world:’ Mahathir
Malaysia has often been cited as one of the beneficiaries of the trade war as companies move production out of China to circumvent elevated U.S. tariffs. Muhammed Abdul Khalid, an economic advisor to Mahathir, told CNBC in May that the Southeast Asian nation’s growth is set to gain an additional 0.1 percentage points due to the trade diversions to his country.

While that’s good for Malaysia, Mahathir on Saturday cautioned that such benefits may only be temporary. He explained that if there’s a change in government in the U.S., the new administration may have a new set of policies that could once again prompt companies to rethink where they want to locate their production and supply chains.

“In the short term, I think it is good news. But in the end, we have to stop this trade war and certainly not to escalate (it),” he said.

#Pakistan #exports to #Europe up 54% Since Grant of GSP+ Trade Preference For Pakistani Products https://www.gulftoday.ae/business/2019/07/14/pakistan-exports-to-eu...

European Union Ambassador to Pakistan Jean-François Cautain has stated that Pakistan’s export to Europe has increased fifty four per cent after grant of GSP Plus status to the country.

Talking to representatives of Council of Pakistan Newspaper Editors at National Press Club in Islamabad, he said GSP plus is a great opportunity for Pakistan to enhance its export especially in the areas of textile, surgical equipment, leather and sports goods.

He said the EU is focusing on improvement of education, vocational training, women development and governance in Pakistan. The Ambassador said EU’s new engagement plan for Pakistan is moving ahead to the strategic and security level. He said this plan will further improve military to military relations between EU and Pakistan.

He said the EU will review implementation of twenty seven conventions of International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights which is a requirement for GSP plus status. Later, he also planted a sapling in the lawn of National Press Club. 

Meanwhile, Chairman Board of Investment, (BOI) Zubair Gilani said that Pakistan is deeply fascinated by China’s example of industrialisation and economic wisdom.

The China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) initiative and industrial cooperation between the two nations is the first step in transforming the lives of people of the two countries, he expressed these remarks while briefing a 50-member Chinese Investment Delegation here at BoI on Thursday.

President Donald #Trump has indicated that #UnitedStates wants to increase its #trade with #Pakistan by at least four-fold following a meeting with #ImranKhan. Trump’s Pakistan Trade Aims May Need Levi, JC Penney Sourcing Strategy Help. #Garments #Textiles https://www.spglobal.com/marketintelligence/en/news-insights/resear...

President Donald Trump has indicated that the U.S. wants to increase its trade with Pakistan by at least four-fold following a meeting with Prime Minister Imran Khan, Inside Trade reports. No firm policies or trade deal process has been put in place yet, though the ongoing need to secure Pakistan as a regional trade partner may give some incentive to do so ahead of the 2020 elections.

While the Trump administration will doubtless focus on increasing U.S. exports, Pakistan needs a significant boost to its export economy before it is in a position to increase its purchases significantly. Panjiva analysis of S&P Global Market Intelligence data shows that its exports contracted by 0.2% year over year in the 12 months to May 31, following a 0.9% annual decline in the prior three years to reach $23.1 billion.

The U.S. accounted for 16.6% of the total, and managed to increase by 5.8% year over year in the past 12 months, Panjiva data shows. The need for a trade deal, and closer relations, with the U.S. has also become more important since India’s decision to increase tariffs on Pakistani exports as outlined in Panjiva’s research of February 18.

The major challenge in boosting imports from Pakistan will lie in either diversifying its exports to the U.S., or significantly eating into the market share of other countries supplying the U.S. In aggregate the apparel and textile industries accounted for 37.8% and 35.1% respectively of all U.S. imports from Pakistan in the 12 months to May 31.

Given Pakistan accounted for just 1.7% of U.S. apparel imports and 8.4% of textiles there may well be room for increased market share.
From a developmental perspective it’s worth noting that shipments aside from textiles and apparel have actually fallen as a proportion of the total to 27.1% in the past 12 months compared to 38.9% in 1998. Other major import lines include cotton at 3.3%, optical equipment at 2.8% and plastics which accounted for 2.6%.

The largest importer of apparel and textiles from Pakistan in the past 12 months, aside from trade finance houses, has been Levi Strauss with 1,682 TEUs shipped. That followed a 101.5% year over year surge in shipments in 2Q. Other importers have also already been expanding their shipments. That was followed by JC Penney with 991 TEUs shipped after a 13.3% rise in 2Q while Adidas shipped 641 TEUs and grew by 9.9%.

#Pakistan #garment makers chase rivals in #India and #Bangladesh. Pakistan has been hailed as an "attractive sourcing base" by industry executives including Spencer Fung, CEO of Hong Kong-based supply chain giant Li & Fung https://asia.nikkei.com/Business/Business-trends/Pakistan-garment-m...


The global shift to online retailing is further intensifying cost competition, a trend that could benefit Pakistan.

Leading the shift is Amazon, which offers cheaper apparel that can be customized to individual shoppers' tastes and delivered quickly.

-----------
Pakistan garment companies are fighting hard to break into the supply chains of some of the world's biggest fashion brands as the country races to catch up with Bangladesh and other Asian apparel heavyweights.

The battle is fierce, however, as customers like Zara and H&M demand high quality and low costs from their suppliers, all on increasingly tight time tables.

Kay & Emms, a garment maker based in Faisalabad, says it is benefiting from clients' desire to diversify.

"We are getting more benefit because the customers are thinking that they are not 100% safe while putting all of their eggs in one basket that is either China or Bangladesh," Faisal Waheed, sales and marketing general manager at Kay & Emms.

Compared to the traditional leaders in garment production -- China, Vietnam and Bangladesh -- Pakistan is still a minor player, and the pressure on companies to reduce costs is intense.

"There is always a war-footing situation," Waheed said. "Every customer is cost-conscious, because they know they have the buying power around the globe. They have a lot of suppliers in their basket -- Cambodia, India, Bangladesh, China and Pakistan. If you don't act on war footing, you will be losing business."

---------------------

Pakistan has been hailed as an "attractive sourcing base" by industry executives including Spencer Fung, CEO of Hong Kong-based supply chain giant Li & Fung, as garment production for Western brands continue to shift to lower cost countries.

Kay & Emms is still small by global standards, with an annual turnover of just $50 million and 2,300 employees, but it is growing at an annual rate of 60%. About a fifth of its sales comes from Zara, a brand belonging to Spain's Inditex. Kay & Emms has been supplying jogging pants, hoodies, crew neck shirts, pullovers and zipper jackets for Zara since 2014, but it was a hard-earned success, according to Waheed.

"After an effort of more than four, five months, we got the first order," Waheed said. "It was quite hard to get into their business."

Zara is a demanding customer, Waheed. "It is cost-conscious, quality-conscious and time-conscious." But his company was after the prestige of doing business with the world's biggest apparel company. Zara releases new items every three to four weeks, rather than on a four-season cycle. "It compels us to develop new fabrics and garments," Waheed said. "That's harder, but more exciting."

Pakistan's cost-competitive garment makers are drawing attention from multinational brands, even though the country's growth lags behind more dynamic markets such as India or Bangladesh. Pakistan is still recovering from the U.S. war on terror, which has stirred Islamic insurgency and has left tens of thousands dead near the border with Afghanistan.

Special Economic Zones (#SEZs) in #Faisalabad alone would help #Pakistan grow its #exports by $1billion to $1.5 billion per year in the short span of time by ensuring effective and comprehensive planning, Says (FIEDMC) Chief Mian Kashif #economy https://nation.com.pk/15-Sep-2019/sezs-to-boost-exports-to-1-5b-per...

Appreciating economic vision of Prime Minister Imran Khan, he said the premier has directed all the concerned departments to remove hurdles in the way of development of SEZs and establish them on priority basis.

Fortunately, he said almost hundred percent plots in M-3 Industrial Estate have already been sold out while hundreds of units have become operational and were playing their role in providing exportable surplus in addition to accommodating thousands of workers.

Mian Kashif said that the industrial city would house more than 400 textile, steel, pharmaceutical, engineering, chemical, food processing, plastic and agriculture appliances units in addition to providing jobs to 250 thousand workers.

He claimed that the city was also expected to attract Rs400 billion local and foreign direct investment which would help Pakistan to stabilise its economy. He further said that Faisalabad was strategically located in the heart of Pakistan with two motorways passing from its eastern and western sides.

He said that this city has a unique privilege to contribute 60 percent towards textile exports and 45 percent towards total exports of the country.

He further said that it was not only restricted to textile which was its iconic identification but hundreds of SMEs hailing from chemicals, steel, food processing and others were also playing their role in the overall economy of Pakistan.

FIEDMC Chairman further said investors from China, Turkey, Korea and Britain have pumped $ 1.10 billion and their confidence in Pakistan have been restored as they are also bringing more investors from their respective country to invest in SEZs.

He said these investors expressed their eagerness to explore the possibility of investment in diverse sectors of Pakistan especially in ceramics, chemicals, steel, food processing and automobiles.

He said Prime Minister Imran Khan clearly directed them to focus on developing such industry in SEZs which is based on export and import substitution to restrict the import bill.

He said the good thing is that a number of Chinese industries have started pumping investment in SEZs and apparently the reason behind this is the production cost in China has increased which is making Pakistan one of the beneficiaries of on-going US China trade war.

He emphasised that consistent policies were imperative to attract foreign investment into the country, which could lead the economy towards sustainable growth.

He said industries operating in the FIEDMC will have an immediate access to high-quality infrastructure, un-interrupted power supply, public facilities and support services along with simpler ease of doing business.

Chief Operating Officer Muhammad Aamer Saleemi also briefed the delegation and said FIEDMC in collaboration with Industrial Police Liaison Committee has established police post at M-3 Industrial City and the industrial community will work under safe environment.

“The whole industrial estate will be monitored by high resolution surveillance cameras and 24 hours police patrolling will be provided in the estate,” adding he said this would make FIEDMC the safest industrial estate in the country.

He said CPEC will attract $40 billion worth of investment which will directly raise investment-to-GDP ratio by 2.8 percentage points besides some indirect investment addition.

“The investment in hard currency will also support exchange rate stability in the country and stabilise balance of payments situation in the country,” he added.

14 #German #textile machinery companies covering the entire textile chain are participating in #Pakistan visit, which will showcase the benefits and #technological #innovations at seminars in both #Karachi and #Lahore. https://www.textileworld.com/textile-world/supplier-notes/2019/09/m... via @Textile World

A technical seminar in Karachi will be held at the Hotel Karachi Avari Towers on November 12 and a second in Lahore will be held on November 14 at the Hotel Avari Lahore Towers.

“The regions surrounding both of these cities have become major hubs for textile manufacturing, especially in areas such as home textiles and denim, where Monforts enjoys market-leading positions with its finishing systems,” said area sales manager Manfred Havenlith, who in addition to presenting at the seminars, will be holding meetings and networking with existing Monforts customers and potential new ones during the trip. “The Punjab region around Karachi, as Pakistan’s largest city, for example, is now dense with denim manufacturers, many of whom have already expressed keen interest in the new Monforts CYD continuous yarn dyeing system we introduced at ITMA 2019 in Barcelona in June.”

The CYD system integrates new functions and processes into the weaving preparation processes — spinning, direct beaming, warping and assembly beaming, followed by sizing and dyeing – in order to increase quality, flexibility, economic viability and productivity. The unique Eco Bleach process is the first bleaching system for yarn treatment available on the market and is combined with the washing units, after which the fabric is then dyed immediately, resulting in considerable savings in wastewater and chemicals.

It is possible to process short batches of yarn in order to produce minimum runs of finished fabrics in a single continuous process and by comparing the usual processing sequences within the denim industry with the new CYD system, the advantages become immediately clear.

Key customers

Existing Monforts denim manufacturing customers in Karachi include Artistic Milliners, Artistic Fabric & Garment Industries (AFGI), Denim Clothing Company, Denim International, Kasim, Rajby Industries and Soorty. Home textiles customers meanwhile include Afroze, Al Karam, Lucky Textile Mills, Mustaqim and Yunus.

The situation is similar in the region around Pakistan’s second largest city, Lahore, where major Monforts customers include Azgard-9, Crescent Bahuman, Crestex, Kohinoor Textile Mills, Naveena, Sapphire Textiles and US Denim Mills.

On Monday, November 11, the VDMA delegation will also be visiting Karachi-headquartered Gul Ahmed Textile Mills, a leader in the home textiles field, which operates both yarn dyeing and fabric finishing lines from Monforts, and in recent years has expanded into retail, with over 40 stores across Pakistan, offering a diverse range of products, from home accessories to fashion clothing.

Trading partner

The European Union is Pakistan’s most important trading partner and textiles and clothing accounted for over 80 percent of its total exports of 6.8 billion euros to the EU in 2018, according to the European Commission.

Starting from January 2014, Pakistan has benefited from generous tariff preferences — mostly zero duties — under the EU’s GSP+ arrangement, which aims to support the country’s sustainable development and good governance. In order to maintain GSP+, Pakistan has to effectively implement 27 core international conventions on human and labour rights, environmental protection and good governance.

The VDMA delegation is being organised by SBS systems for business solutions on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi), in collaboration with the German Pakistan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GPCCI) and with the technical support of the VDMA Textile Machinery Association.

#Taiwanese #textile companies may relocate to #Pakistan. #Taiwan will transfer new #technologies & #manufacturing processes & Pakistan will not have to compete with #China or #Bangladesh or #Vietnam on price. Instead, it will add value to its products. https://tribune.com.pk/story/2100996/2-cpec-affect-taiwanese-textil...

Being a cheap labour market (after huge currency devaluation), Pakistan can transform into an excellent destination for Taiwanese textile companies, which are willing to relocate their units outside Vietnam, said Taiwan Textile Federation President Justin Huang.

“At present, Vietnam is crowded, which causes difficulties for Taiwanese textile firms there, such as labour shortages,” Justin said in an interview with The Express Tribune. “In Pakistan, however, labour issues will not emerge at least for the next 10 years and this is something attractive for us.”

He pointed out that China had invested massively in Pakistan’s infrastructure development projects under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and stressed that Taiwanese businessmen could take maximum advantage from such investment.

Pakistan had a duty-free export agreement with the European Union and in December, the second phase of a free trade agreement (FTA) with China would also become functional, which would prove to be helpful for the Taiwanese investors and trade and industrial development in Pakistan, he said.

“We are different from China and other countries because we focus more on technical and functional textiles,” he emphasised.

Justin added that he would forward all the information collected from Pakistan to other federation members in Taiwan including the fact that Pakistan was a huge market of 200 million with excess labour and the government was willing to support foreign investment.

The federation president expressed the resolve to devise a mechanism for enhancing trade and investment collaboration between Taiwan and Pakistan in the textile and garments sector. He was of the view that Pakistan’s textile industry produced excellent products for home use and had the capacity to produce quality apparel as well.

“If things follow the right direction, we will transfer new technologies and manufacturing processes to Pakistan, which will facilitate the country in upgrading its products,” Justin stressed.

“After that, Pakistan will not have to compete with China or Bangladesh on price issues and the country will be able to add value to its products.”
Textile companies based in Taiwan have already designed products for global brands like Nike and Adidas. Sixteen teams in the football World Cup 2018 used Taiwan-based fabric in their kits.

He voiced hope that the FTA with China would also assist Taiwanese companies, which had already invested in China and had set up their units in the country.

“Our officials can bring in their work experience to Pakistan along with the academia to train the local human resources,” he pointed out. “In future, Pakistan will need a lot of textile engineers, hence, there is a need to provide sufficient training to them so that the country can utilise its manpower.”

He also stressed the need for easing the visa approval process for the Taiwanese investors.

“Right now, it is difficult for us to visit Pakistan due to a long process of applying for the entrance visa,” he said. “It took me more than three weeks to get approval for Pakistani visa.”

#Pakistan exported $1,156 million worth of readymade #garments (#RMG) in five months, showing an increase of 36% in quantity and 13.19% in value. #exports
https://www.brecorder.com/2019/12/21/555315/pakistan-exports-increa...

Pakistan exports increase by 4.8pc in five months: Finance advisor
By Ali Ahmed on December 21, 2019
Sheikh said that from July-Nov 2019, exports increased by 4.8pc as compared to same period last year.
Value added exports like readymade garments, knitwear and other major exports are showing strong pick up in both quantity & value, he said.

Adviser to the Prime Minister of Pakistan on Finance and Revenue Abdul Hafeez Sheikh said that strong export growth is essential for the industrial expansion and job creation in an economy, as Pakistan posted 4.8pc export growth.

In a tweet, the advisor said that in five months (July-Nov 2019) exports increased by 4.8 percent as compared to same period last year. “Value added exports like readymade garments, knitwear & other major exports are showing strong pick up in both quantity & value," he said.

As per the data of Major Exports of Pakistan in 2019-20 (July-November) shared by Hafeez, knitwear items worth $1,320 million were exported in the five months, showing a quantity increase of 6 percent and value increase of 8.69pc.

Whereas, Pakistan exported $1,156mn worth of readymade garments in five months, showing an increase of 36pc in quantity and 13.19pc in value. Meanwhile bedwear was third on the list with $1.013bn worth of exports, an increase of 14.37pc in quantity and 4.69pc in value.

#Pakistan #textile sector at full production capacity. “If all goes well, the developments in textile industry support…the government to achieve the set export target of $24-25 billion this fiscal year” #exports #trade The Express Tribune

https://tribune.com.pk/story/2162491/2-textile-sector-jumps-full-ca...


The textile manufacturing sector – the single largest export-oriented sector of Pakistan – has spiked to full-capacity production after the government withdrew duties and taxes on import of the raw cotton in January.

Besides, Islamabad is getting higher export orders for textiles since China, the single largest textile exporter at world across, is lying closed to fight against the deadly coronavirus for the past couple of months.

“Pakistan (textile sector) is working on full capacity,” All Pakistan Textile Mills Association (Aptma) former chairman Asif Inam told The Express Tribune on Saturday.

“If all goes well, the developments in textile industry support…the government to achieve the set export target of $24-25 billion this fiscal year (July-2019 to June 2020),” he said.

“We don’t have the capacity to take additional export orders these days. We have entered into the capacity constraint zone,” he said.

He said there is a 26% volumetric growth in textiles export. “This (26%) was the capacity in surplus till recent months. The government has fully utilised that,” Inam same.

State Bank of Pakistan Governor Reza Baqir said the other day there was up to 40% volumetric growth in textile exports. Besides, the export of finished goods is on the rise, while export of raw material, including cotton and yarn are on a downward trend, which are positive developments for Pakistan’s economy.

Pakistan has continued to receive good export orders, including in the downstream industry. “The world textile buyers have diverted their purchasing orders to Pakistan since China (70-80% production) is closed to fight against spread of the coronavirus,” Inam said.

The virus has disrupted the world. A significant number of countries have been affected by the virus, as over 2,300 people have died and over 75,000 people got infected.

The official claimed that the textile exports could be doubled over the next five year if the government overcomes the high energy pricing, gas connection and tax refund issues. The Aptma has demanded a long-term five-year textile policy from the government. “Once the government announces the policy, the textile exports will start growing at 10-15% per annum over the next five years,” he added.

Cotton import

He said Pakistan is estimated to import around 7.5-8 million bales (of 170 kilogram each) this fiscal year after local production came almost half of the required 15 million bales in FY20.

They will be record high import in Pakistan. Pakistan has produced around 7.5-8 million bales so far, which comes to around half of the domestic requirement.

“We have so far imported around one-third of the total required quantity of imported cotton at 7.5-8 million bales. We will import around 70% of that over the next two-three months and remaining in the rest of the period of FY20,” he said.

High energy, water costs may push Pakistan’s apparel industry towards crisis

The import of cotton paced up following the government withdrew 3% regulatory duty, 2% additional customs duty and 5% sales tax on import of cotton from January 15, 2020.

The imposition of the duty and taxes on cotton import by the previous government in the centre had put the textile industry in danger.

“The withdrawal of duty and taxes has fully mitigated the risk of decline in cotton consumption in Pakistan.

USAID has recently anticipated increase in consumption of cotton at textile industries in Pakistan. We will use at least 15 million bales this year (FY20),” Aptma former chairman said.

#China #Pakistan FTA-2: #Pakistan textile #exports to rise to $25 billion in new regional hub. As #coronavirus outbreak puts the globalisation into reverse and challenges existing global value chains, new supply chains continue to form behind the scenes.


https://www.outlookindia.com/website/story/news-analysis-china-paki...

With the second phase of the CPFTA, there is a possibility of relocating the production of international brands, many of which have facilities in China that import cotton fabric from Pakistan as raw material—to Pakistan itself. The inflow of Chinese investment in machinery and technology in order to set up production bases in Pakistan will drive innovation and economies of scale, thereby making Pakistan regionally competitive in cotton-based garments. In addition, Pakistan will garner a favourable position for exporting to other markets that have so far been trading primarily with China as well as potentially to other Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) members.

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In January 2020, Pakistan and China entered into the second phase of China-Pakistan Free Trade Agreement (CPFTA2), under which China has eliminated tariffs on 313 priority tariff lines of Pakistan’s export interest. In return, Pakistan has offered China market access to raw materials, intermediate goods, and machinery.

Of the 313 high-priority products that Pakistan can now export without duty payments to China, 130 are from textiles and clothing sector. Reduced tariffs, an expected surge in Chinese investment into Pakistan and the potential shift of production base from China to Pakistan, may change the regional dynamics of textiles trade. The numbers explain how.

Under the CPFTA2, many Pakistani textile products will now enjoy duty-free access to China, which has extended similar tariff reductions to other trading partners - Bangladesh, Thailand and Vietnam among others - under the ASEAN-China FTA. Tariffs on readymade cotton garments (HS codes 61, 62 and 63), have been massively reduced. For example, men’s ensembles of cotton (HS code – 62032200), Pakistan’s top world export, was traded with China at 17.5 per cent (MFN rate) which reduced to 12 per cent under Phase-I of FTA and has dropped to 0 per cent in the Phase-II of FTA. This places Pakistan at a more than equal footing with Bangladesh, and ahead of India which faces a tariff rate of 8 per cent on the export of this product to China.

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Pakistan is likely to be preferred over Bangladesh given the former country’s comparative advantage in producing cotton fabric (nearly 25 per cent of Pakistan’s total cotton exports in 2018 were to China); ease of doing business (Pakistan ranks at 108 compared to Bangladesh at 168 and India at 63 under the World Bank’s Doing Business 2020 study); ease of trading across borders (Pakistan ranks at 111 compared to Bangladesh at 176 and India at 68) and ease of starting a new business (Pakistan ranks at 72 compared to Bangladesh at 131 and India at 136).

Pakistan’s government targets raising the country’s textile and clothing exports from USD 13.5 billion in 2018 to USD 25 billion by 2025. As China has the world’s largest textile industry—in terms of both production and export—it is an inevitable trading partner for Pakistan to meet this 2025 target.

For Pakistan, to fully reap the benefits of the CPFTA2, access to cheaper imported inputs will be crucial to its export competitiveness for cotton-based readymade garments.

While Pakistan grows cotton domestically, 37 percent of its cotton imports came from India. After the trade ban between India and Pakistan in 2019, Pakistan began sourcing cotton/yarn from the US and Vietnam, thereby witnessing a rise in cotton prices, amid low production and higher import tariffs (11% from the US and Vietnam, compared to 5 per cent from India for cotton yarn (HS Code 520524), one of Pakistan’s major imports from India).

#Pakistan #COVID19 #Lockdown Idles Factories. “It’s a pity as February 2020 garment exports increased by over 20%, an all-time record..... March to June it...could be slashed by at least 60-70%..” #textile #garments #exports #economy https://sourcingjournal.com/topics/sourcing/pakistan-coronavirus-lo... via @SourcingJournal

There’s a new kind of supply chain disruption in 2020—and it’s the kind that could leave destitution in its wake.

In the past week, key sourcing countries, including India and Bangladesh have put country-wide lockdowns or stay-at-home orders in place, and Pakistan has done the same.

Monday marked the beginning of a two-week lockdown that has all factories in the country, as well as other business producing or selling non-essentials, closed completely. Only medical, food and pharmaceutical facilities are still in operation, in addition to some gas stations and banks that remain open.

While the World Health Organization (WHO) has Pakistan’s confirmed cases at 991, with 104 new COVID-19 virus infections reported in the past 24 hours, local sources say the number of infected persons is closer to 1,100. And the country is trying to stanch the spread.

“All over Pakistan it’s a complete lockdown in all the provinces everywhere,” Hafiz Mustanser Ahmed, managing director of Lahore-based factory U.S. Apparel & Textiles, told Sourcing Journal Thursday. “The transportation when it comes to taking the employees to the factories or the public transportation, it’s all 100 percent closed. All the factories are closed.”

For now, moving goods back and forth between the ports and Lahore, Pakistan’s second-biggest textile manufacturing hub after Karachi, is still allowed, but there simply aren’t many goods to move, said Ahmed, whose factory produces denim bottoms for Levi’s, Target, H&M, J.Crew, Primark and Costco, to name a few.


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“It will happen. Nobody can stop this,” Ahmed said. “In this part of the world, where Pakistan is operating, where Bangladesh is operating, the governments are not rich at all so they don’t have that much sufficient funds available with them. They won’t be able to pay for the salaries for them… For the workers who are on the piece rate, it’s going to happen because there are no pieces to produce, and the workers on the daily rate, it’s going to happen, and the workers who are on the salaries, it’s going to happen there as well.”

In the coming days, the government is expected to announce details of support package for workers, which could include food rations and subsidies for utilities. Factories, however, may not see funds to help facilitate their operations, though Schlossman said some duty refunds are being paid back to factories to partially ease the financial impact.

For now, retailers who are still willing to accept goods they had ordered, the government in Pakistan is making concessions to certain factories to deliver them.

“If you have a product that is almost ready for dispatch and if my customer is accepting the product, [the government] is allowing us to partially operate the factory to deliver those goods,” Ahmed said, noting, however, that the allowance is granted by application and under strict rules for the temporary operating period. Workers cannot stand too close to one another, buses shuttling them from home to work can only transport a limited number of passengers, the factory must have thermometers on hand to take workers’ temperatures, and immediately on dispatching the goods, the closure goes back into effect.

Coronavirus challenge and Pakistan’s exports

https://https://tribune.com.pk/story/2171994/2-coronavirus-challenge-pakist....com/topics/sourcing/pakistan-coronavirus-lo...

According to statistics released by Pakistan Bureau of Statistics, exports increased 13.82% year-on-year in February 2020. Amid a global slowdown in trade, exports from Pakistan have increased by 3.65% in the current fiscal year. Imports have continued to decline, registering a decrease in value of 14.06%.

The trade deficit in the first eight months of FY20 was 26.52% lower than the same period of FY19.

Interestingly, although exports increased sharply in February 2020 in terms of year-on-year and month-on-month growth, the decline in imports became much more subdued. Imports decreased 1.71% only over the same period of previous fiscal year.

Therefore, as the value of imports stabilises after reaching its apparent trough, the linkage between exports and imports must be maximised in order to ensure that Pakistan optimises its participation in international trade activities.

In essence, exports from Pakistan have shown a reversing trend as a general declining trend has now turned positive. Exports had declined from $25.1 billion in 2013 to $23.6 billion in 2018.

On the other hand, exports to the EU increased from $6.3 billion in 2013 to $8 billion in 2018.

This suggests that the unilateral trade incentives provided by the EU to Pakistan in the form of GSP Plus status did help boost export sales to the region and limit what otherwise could have been a complete decay of the export sector between 2013 and 2018. The trade linkages established between Pakistani exporters and their clients can help increase exports and tap newer markets as supply chains are threatened due to the spread of the coronavirus.

Pakistan must continue with its policies to boost total exports. Although the growth in global trade is likely to slow down this year, Pakistan must consider developing its export sector to take advantage of opportunities as a result of challenges reported by the large manufacturing powerhouses.

#Pakistan, #China universities sign agreement on #textile cooperation between National Textile University (NTU) Pakistan and #Shanghai University of Engineering Science (SUES) of China| Associated Press Of Pakistan

An agreement on textile cooperation was jointly signed by National Textile University (NTU), Pakistan and Shanghai University of Engineering Science (SUES), China last week.
According to SUES, NTU is the very first Pakistani partner for SUES, and the move is of great significance when it comes to the educational exchanges and cooperation between universities of South Asian countries involved into China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), China Economic Net reported on Friday.
Xia Jianguo, the President of SUES, noted that the signing ceremony was SUES’s first move of international cooperation ever since the COVID-19 outbreak. The iron-clad friendship between China and Pakistan has laid a solid foundation for the cooperation and exchanges between both universities.
President Xia spoke highly of the competences and characteristics of research and talent training in NTU regarding textile. Over the years, SUES has conducted a wide range of international exchanges and cooperation with overseas universities and enterprises, he mentioned, adding that he firmly believed the cooperation would provide both with more opportunities for common development.
Prof Dr. Tanveer Hussain, the Rector of NTU, expressed his heartfelt thanks to SUES for the arrangement and preparation for the video signing ceremony.
He said NTU has been the premier institute of textile education in Pakistan, meeting the technical and managerial human resource needs of almost the entire textile industry of Pakistan ever since its inception.
What is more, he expressed full confidence and keen expectation for a long-term cooperation between the two universities in multiple levels and fields.
The signing ceremony was held in video form. Directors from SUES’s Office of International Cooperation and Exchange and the Institute of Textile and Garment were present.

#German international brand Hugo Boss places first order for sportswear with a #Pakistani #garment manufacturing company. #exports #RMG
https://nation.com.pk/08-Jul-2020/hugo-boss-places-first-order-of-s...

Adviser to the Prime Minister on Commerce and Investment Abdul Razak Dawood on Tuesday said that well known brand, Hugo Boss has placed its first order of sportswear to a Pakistani company. “Happy to note that well known brand, Hugo Boss, has placed its first order of sportswear to a Pakistani company,” the Adviser said on Twitter. He attributed this achievement due to the effort of Pakistan Readymade Garments Manufacturing and Exporters Association (PRGMEA) for holding the 35th IAF Fashion Convention in November last year, in Lahore.

The International Apparel Federation’s (IAF) 35th World Fashion Convention was held in Lahore on November 12-13, 2019, in collaboration with Dutch industry association Modint.

German fashion house Hugo Boss is known around the world for its smart men’s suits. It manufactures clothing and accessories internationally and has various products, such as eveningwear, shoes, leather goods, eyewear, watches, perfumes, and children’s fashion. It recently launched more casual and sportswear styles in order to attract younger people, making major investments in online products after its attempt to go upmarket failed some years ago.

In another Tweet, the Adviser said that Pakistan’s exports had reduced less as compared to other countries of the region due to the Covid-19 pandemic. He said that Pakistan’s exporters had performed well in last fiscal year despite slowdown in economic activities due to the Covid-19.

“I want to congratulate all our exporters on the good performance in 2019-20, in spite of the very challenging situation caused by Covid,” he said and added that Pakistan’s exports were only 6 percent less than 2018-19, while our regional countries Bangladesh was down 17 percent and India down by 14 percent.

This good performance was also due to the timely lifting of the lockdown and the good coordination between federal and provincial agencies at the daily meetings of NCOC. Our exporters deserver every praise for their effort, hard work and reaching out to our customers, he added.

#Pakistan Denim Manufacturers Are Cautiously Optimistic About Recovery. Pak denim industry experiencing “a surge of orders,” due to “pent-up demand for garments, particularly from Europe.” #exports #garment #jeans #denim https://sourcingjournal.com/denim/denim-mills/lenzing-pakistan-manu... via @SourcingJournal

Most industries in every country have been adversely effected by the coronavirus. In Pakistan, however, the textile industry is among the hardest-hit sectors.

“Pakistan textile industry is a key exporter for the country accounting for more than half of all overseas shipments,” said Tricia Carey, Lenzing’s director of global business development-denim.

In a recent Carved in Blue webinar, Carey moderated a conversation with representatives from denim fabric and garment manufacturers in Pakistan, checking in on the status of their business and how they plan to navigate the challenges that lie ahead.

With more than 200,000 confirmed cases of the coronavirus, the country remains on a “smart lockdown” that requires shopping malls and restaurants to be closed, but essential businesses and export industries have received permission to operate under strict guidelines, explained Hasan Javed, director of Artistic Garment Industries (AGI).

AGI resumed business slowly at the end of April. Initially, Javed said, the main focus was to implement training and awareness sessions held in small groups at the facility about how to conduct work safely under the new guidelines.

“It took some time for everyone to get used to the social distancing rules and the ‘new normal’ as they say,” he said. “Now in the last few months we have gradually ramped up our production, and at the moment we’re running close to 80 percent [capacity].”

The goal for July, Javed added, is to run at close to full strength, both on the fabric and garment side of AGI’s business. “We’re fairly optimistic about the next couple of months,” he said.

Business in Pakistan has improved since April when the country was in a total shutdown, said Rashid Iqbal, Naveena Denim Lahore (NDL) executive director. NDL’s production is running at 40-50 percent capacity and Iqbal expects those numbers to hold steady for July.

Momentum is also building for Azgard Nine Ltd. Ahmed Humayun Shaikh, CEO of Azgard Nine Ltd., said the company is experiencing “a surge of orders,” which he attributes to “pent-up demand for garments, particularly from Europe.”

But he warned that this flurry of orders is fleeting. “I don’t think we can expect the pandemic to actually increase demand so it will settle down at some reduced rate once people get what they need,” Shaikh said.

When markets do finally resume at a normal level, executives anticipate that Pakistan will regain its share and perhaps be in better standing in the global denim market.

“The reason being, when it comes to the supply chain Pakistan is the fifth-largest cotton growing country in the world with a fabric capacity of 500 million meters a year,” Iqbal said. “We’re very ideally placed.”

To fully realize this this opportunity, Iqbal said agility is going to be the “name of the game.”

However, in order to be agile, companies may want to eliminate the number of suppliers essential to production.

As brands recover, Crescent Bahuman Ltd. representative Zaki Saleemi said companies will want to simplify their suppliers and inventories, which may bode well for Pakistan’s crop of vertical denim manufactures.

“We are a lot more vertical than a lot of other countries,” he said. “Vertical is key.”

Shaikh agreed, adding that customers want goods quickly because “they’re nervous and they want to fill the shelves.”

Readymade Garments Exports Increase By 18.04%

https://www.urdupoint.com/en/business/readymade-garments-exports-in...

The Readymade Garments exports during first month of current financial year increased by 18.04 percent as compared the corresponding period of the last year.

According to Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS), the Readymade garments exports worth US $274,246 thousand in first month of current financial year to US $232,327 thousand of the same period of last financial year.

During the period from July 2020, exports of Art, Silk and Synthetic textile increased by 14.

01%, worth $28,388 thousand as compared the exports valuing $24,900 thousand of same period of last year, it added.

Meanwhile, Madeup Articles exports increased by 26.04%, worth $60,805 thousand as compared the exports of valuing $48,244 thousand of the corresponding period of last year.

During the period under review, buses, Other Textile materials exports increaseed by 66.46%, valuing $48,758 thousand exported as compared the export worth $29,292 thousand of same period of last year.

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Garment orders move to Pakistan, as COVID bites India, Bangladesh
However, the garment sector in the country is facing a severe shortage of yarn due to a shortage of cotton.

https://www.brecorder.com/news/40020319


As the coronavirus pandemic continues to spread unabated in India and Bangladesh, garment orders from international markets are rapidly shifting towards Pakistan.

However, the garment sector in the country is facing a severe shortage of yarn due to a shortage of cotton.

As per reports, the development comes at a time when export orders are declining in Pakistan's neighboring countries due to the COVID pandemic, there is a flurry of export orders for Pakistan's garment sector, as India and Bangladesh, affected by the pandemic, have not yet been able to produce and deliver goods to European and American markets on time.

This has pushed the entire production pressure of the textile industry on Pakistan's textile exports.

However, there exist a major hurdle for the local industrialists to take advantage of this opportunity, as they say, that they are worried about the shortage of raw material, especially yarn, for the orders received by the garment sector.

Industrialists say that the international client gives 35 to 40 days for shipments but the local mill is giving them three months' time.

Exporters say that if the government does not take immediate action, not only will orders from rival countries stop moving to Pakistan, but local industrialists will also lose out to permanent buyers.

#Faisalabad headquartered apparel giant Interloop has begun to divest from #Bangladesh and invest in #Pakistan
https://profit.pakistantoday.com.pk/2020/11/28/interloop-divests-fr...

Why is it that if one looks at the tags of clothes bought in Europe, they will invariably say ‘Made in Bangladesh’? Entirely European fast fashion brands like Zara (which is a Spanish retailer) will manufacture their clothes in Bangladesh.

There is a specific reason for this, and not just the usual developing world cliches of ‘cheap labour’ and ‘advantage in cotton’. Technically speaking, Bangladesh has been part of the World Trade Organisation since 1995. But in 2001, it would make a decision that would alter its fortunes for the better. That year, the country signed the ‘EU-Bangladesh Cooperation Agreement’ with the European Union. That agreement provides broad scope for cooperation, extending to trade and economic development, human rights, good governance and the environment.

But the real benefit, of course, was trade. Bangladesh was to receive duty-free access to EU markets under a programme known as the globalised scheme of preferences (GSP), designed to help developing countries grow through trade. The country has the most generous level of GSP, aimed at least-developed countries.

And it worked. For instance, in 2015, the EU accounted for 24% of Bangladesh’s total trade. Over 90% of the EU’s total imports from Bangladesh were in clothing. More impressively, between 2008 and 2015, EU imports from Bangladesh trebled from €5,464 million to €15,145 million, which represented nearly half of Bangladesh’s total exports.

One textile company in Pakistan took notice: the sock moguls, Interloop. The company is one of Pakistan’s fastest-growing and most exciting textile companies, and let us explain why.

Analyst Briefing: Interloop To Continue To Operate At Full Capacity Due To Healthy Order Books

https://www.mg-link.net/news/38143/Analyst-Briefing-Interloop-to-co...

The Company also decided to divest its investment from Interloop Bangladesh soon due to non-cooperative attitude of Bangladesh govt by not issuing visas to investors.

---------------


To recall, the company reported 2.7x YoY increase in net profits after tax for 1QFY21 to Rs 1.33 billion (EPS: Rs1.53), compared to Rs 491 million (EPS: Rs 0.56) in the same period last year.

The management informed that company earned profits on the back of higher net sales which increased by 38% YoY during 1QFY21 to Rs 13 billion primarily due to hosiery utilization at 100% post revival of economic activity, increase in utilization of the denim plant given addition of new customers, and addition of new machineries in its hosiery division.

The key points of the briefing covered by Arif Habib Limited revealed that the company is currently operating at full capacity in both the Hosiery and Denim segments, and it will continue this utilization level for the entire year as it has enough orders from customers.

The company’s Denim segment, which became operational in December 2019, had been impacted significantly by the pandemic. However, the management expects it to become profitable from April 2021, as the company has been adding more reputable customers, such as Guess and Mustang jeans into their portfolio.

Discussing about company’s business diversification and expansion plan, management informed that Interloop entered into the Denim Apparel Segment and successfully installed a production facility with a capacity of 20,000 pieces per day. The First phase has successfully started operations in 2QFY20. Unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic affected the business badly as it faced cancellation of orders, as result, during the 1QFY21, Denim Plant operated at around 57% utilization.

In the second phase of the Denim plant which will become operational in last quarter of FY21, the production capacity will be enhanced to 40,000 pieces per day, the management said, adding that the project is 97% complete in terms of infrastructure and utilities. The project cost is around Rs 8.3 billion out of which 81% of the budget has already been consumed. Upon completion both denim and hosiery plant are expected to generate more sales, and profits because of economies of scale. The exports of the company would increase to US$400-450mn when all the announced expansion projects will be completed (exports are currently US$209mn), the management highlighted.

Shedding light on the furture prospects of the company, the management is of the view that their future prospects are encouraging because export orders for ILP are expected to remain robust due to the strong order flows received from the customers. So far, the company has not seen any impact of second wave of Covid-19, as ILP has not witnessed any order cancellations due to onine sales delivey, the added.

The management also disclosed that the company has signed an agreement with Organic Cotton Accelerator to develop the local organic cotton supply chain. Pakistan used to import organic cotton from India; however, due to political issues between the two countries, Pakistan is importing organic cotton from other countries, like Turkey, Africa, which is quite expensive. Moreover, due to the shift of brands toward organic cotton, there is a need to grow organic cotton locally.

With regards to the Apparels segment (IL Apparel), the management underlined that the company is receiving positive responses for their products (knitwear). Currently, the segment only consists of cutting and sewing divisions, where the company procures fabric from external suppliers. The company also plans on expanding the segment in order to add knitting and dyeing units, in the future, which could add further value to the business, the management disclosed.

Sheikh Hasina Welcomes #Pakistani Envoy to Residence in Yet Another Sign of Thaw in Frosty Relations. #Bangladesh cannot forget the "atrocities" committed by Pakistan during the 1971 war but she ‘s positive about regional cooperation. #India #China #Modi

https://thewire.in/south-asia/pakista-bangladesh-ties-sheikh-hasina...


In yet another signal that the frosty relations between Dhaka and Islamabad could be thawing, Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina welcomed Pakistan high commissioner Imran Ahmed Siddiqui to her official residence on Thursday.

Though a press release issued by her office quoted Hasina as saying that her country cannot forget the “atrocities” committed by Pakistan during the 1971 war, she was also positive about regional cooperation and smoothening out diplomatic relations.

The two South Asian countries have traditionally not shared close diplomatic relations. The relationship took a “nosedive” during Hasina’s second tenure as prime minister in 2009, when she began focusing on trials for war crimes during the 1971 war which saw the formation of Bangladesh.

In 2016, Bangladesh executed several leaders of the Jamaat-e-Islami party on charges of committing war crimes in 1971. This led to ties with Islamabad falling to a new low, with Pakistan describing the executions and trials “politically motivated”.

On Thursday, Hasins extended greetings to her counterpart Imran Khan after high commissioner Siddiqui conveyed the “good wishes” of the Pakistani PM. The high commissioner said Khan had advised his representatives in Dhaka to learn about the “development miracle” of Bangladesh.

Siddiqui also raised the issue of different bilateral and regional forums remaining inactive, according to reports, and sought Hasina’s help to activate foreign office consultations between the two countries. Hasina said there is no bar from her government to continue functioning regularly.

The high commissioner also said that Pakistan wants to boost relations with Bangladesh without any obstruction, which Hasina said was in line with her government’s foreign policy of “friendship to all malice to none.”

The appointment of Siddiqui as high commissioner in February this year has been crucial in improving the relations between the two nations. In July, after months of ‘quiet diplomacy’ Khan and Hasina had a 20-minute phone conversation which was described as ‘diplomatic coup’ for Islamabad by The Telegraph.

“The new Pakistani high commissioner in Dhaka too has been trying to connect the two Prime Ministers, and finally it happened,” a source in Dhaka told the newspaper.

This year, after Pakistan lifted its comprehensive coronavirus lockdown in May while other countries in the neighborhood kept their economies closed, international textile orders have been diverted to Pakistan, leading to a nine-year record in exports, Aliya Hamza Malik, parliamentary secretary for commerce, told Arab News.

https://www.arabnews.pk/node/1782136/pakistan

“Pakistan’s policy of early easing of lockdowns and opening the economy has diverted export orders from China, India and Bangladesh to Pakistan,” she said. “The exports in November 2020 have broken a nine-year record.”
Malik said the industry was currently running at 110 percent capacity, with export orders until June 2021.
Waheed Khaliq Ramay, chairman of the Power Looms Association of Pakistan, said factory owners were “desperately” searching for workers as “almost all power looms in Pakistan, and particularly in Faisalabad, were running at full capacity.”
“Those that were closed since 2016-17 and before are now back in business and continuously expanding,” Ramay said.
Faisalabad has around 300,000 fabric-manufacturing power looms, of which more than 50,000 were closed in 2016-17 due to a long-running energy crisis. But industry officials say the industry is picking up once more, with 40,000 new power looms being set up to meet growing demand, Malik said.
The textile industry, which comprises 46 percent of the total manufacturing sector and provides employment to around 25 million Pakistanis, contributes 8.5 percent to the GDP, according to the Pakistan Board of Investment. It also contributes 60 percent to overall exports and is one of the major earners of foreign exchange for Pakistan.

Despite a global economic slowdown due to COVID-19, Pakistan’s textile sector reached $6 billion exports in the first five months of current fiscal year (July-November 2020), which is 62 percent of total exports (worth $9.7 billion) and almost 5 percent higher compared to the same period last year, official data shows.
“Incentives and export facilitations have played a big role in making Pakistan a competitive exporting country,” Malik said.

Bangladesh achieved an economic landmark last week, when the United Nations’ Committee for Development Policy recommended that the country graduate from the least-developed-country categorization that it has held for most of the 50 years since it became independent.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/bangladesh-is-becoming-south-asias-eco...

Bangladesh is notable in South Asia for being the closest proxy for the successful development models seen at various stages in South Korea, China and Vietnam. Export-led development has the best modern track record of moving countries from very low income levels into middle-income status.

Bangladesh’s exports have risen by around 80% in dollar terms in the past decade, driven by the booming garment industry, while India and Pakistan’s exports have actually declined marginally.


There are other factors in the country’s favor as far as its development model goes: a very young demographic structure, a continued competitive edge in terms of wage levels, strong and rising female labor-force participation especially relative to the rest of South Asia.

There are some meaningful potential hindrances, however. For one, Bangladeshi export growth is well below that of Vietnamor Cambodia, where exports have more than tripled and more than doubled respectively over the past 10 years. India’s exports boomed in the early 2000s and then stagnated, so a continued upward trend isn’t guaranteed.



The next step for Bangladesh would be to transition toward higher-value forms of manufacturing and exporting, as Vietnam has done. Its export industry is still overwhelmingly focused on garment manufacturing. The country’s economic complexity, ranked by Harvard University’s Growth Lab, is 108 out of the 133 countries measured. That is actually lower than it was in 1995.

Bangladesh also finds itself, like India, outside of major Asian trade blocs. It isn’t a member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, or the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership or the Comprehensive and Progressive Trans-Pacific Partnership. Diversifying its manufacturing exports would require greater participation in intra-Asian supply chains—and probably a closer economic relationship with its neighbors to the east.

Caveats aside, Bangladesh’s exit from LDC status is probably a sign of further progress ahead—and a shot across the bow of other South Asian neighbors taking a very different approach to development.

Bangladesh’s monthly minimum wage lowest in Asia-Pacific region: ILO
Neighbouring country Pakistan topped the chart in South Asia with a monthly minimum wage level of $491, while India has the second lowest minimum wage level of $215

https://www.tbsnews.net/economy/bangladeshs-monthly-minimum-wage-lo...

The monthly minimum wage level in Bangladesh was $48 or around Tk4,070 in 2019 – the lowest among all nations in Asia and the Pacific region, reveals the Global Wage Report 2020–21.

Published by the International Labour Organization (ILO) on Wednesday, the report calculated the "Gross Monthly Minimum Wage Levels in Asia and the Pacific" using the Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) values.

Globally, Bangladesh ranked fifth from the bottom among 136 countries. Neighbouring country Pakistan topped the chart in South Asia with a monthly minimum wage level of $491, while India has the second lowest minimum wage level of $215 in the region, it says.

In the Asia and the Pacific region, the median (average) minimum wage is $381, which is $333 or around Tk18,250 higher than that of Bangladesh. However, the ILO report excluded agriculture and domestic workers while calculating Bangladesh's monthly minimum wage level.

Commenting on the matter, Policy Research Institute's Executive Director Dr Ahsan H Mansur said, "Actually, minimum wage is only applicable to Bangladesh's garments sector, and it has no application in any other ones. Elsewhere, the minimum wage is even lower.

"So, the report is not a real reflection of the true picture, and if the minimum wage is increased artificially, it would not be very beneficial at all. If we increase the minimum wage level only in a particular segment and exclude the whole economy, there will not be any positive."

He added that Bangladesh does not have a minimum wage level in every sector and for every job, so the comparison made by the ILO is not appropriate.

Additionally, the report mentions that Bangladesh's actual monthly minimum wage was only $18 last year.

In the region, Australia has the highest monthly minimum wage of $2,166 in terms of PPP, followed by New Zealand with $2,126 and South Korea with $2,096.

What is the situation in South Asia?

Nepal is following the chart-topper Pakistan with a minimum wage level of $396 in this region, and Afghanistan is just behind Nepal with $306.

At the bottom end, Bangladesh and India is followed by Sri Lanka, which has the third lowest minimum wage level of $247 in the South Asia region.

Bangladesh revises the minimum wage every five years and last did it in December 2018. The report mentions that out of 149 countries, only Bangladesh and Angola have not yet made any schedule for the next adjustment of the minimum wage.

About the issue, Dr Mansur said, "Amid this Covid-19 crisis and the ongoing export situation, if the minimum wage is increased now, unemployment may rise further. Instead, we should focus on increasing our labour productivity.

"Productive workers can get an annual pay rise automatically."

Globally, the median value of gross minimum wages for 2019 is $486 per month, indicating that half of the countries across the globe have minimum wages set lower than this value, and half have minimum wages set higher.

Largest decrease in real minimum wage

Bangladesh has seen 5.9% decrease in real minimum wage growth annually, from the period between 2010 and 2019. This was the largest decrease in Asia and the Pacific region.

Meanwhile, the neck and neck RMG export competitor Vietnam (11.3%) observed the highest increase of real minimum wage growth.

Addressing the issue, Dr Mansur said, "This is not desirable and a matter of deep concern too."

On a separate note, the annual labour productivity growth increased by 5.8% in Bangladesh, compared to 5.1% of Viet Nam for the same period.

Textile manufacturers seem to have gotten their way securing gas supply for captive power generation. The note of thanks that followed had one name missing, that of the Minister that was not entirely sold on the idea. Regardless of the merits of the decision, this should soothe some nerves for Pakistan’s largest dollar earners.

https://www.brecorder.com/news/40143546

The arguments goes that “textile units in Pakistan are incurring power and energy costs 2.4 percentage points more than India and 7.8 percentage points higher than Bangladesh…ideal regionally competitive electricity tariff would be around 7.4 cents/kWh”. There is no denying that textile is an intensely competitive market when it comes to export, and regionally competitive electricity tariff is only a fair demand.

Only that a look at electricity tariffs for industries in the region tells the textile players in Pakistan are not worse off. If anything, they get better power tariffs than both India and Bangladesh, where only Vietnam offers electricity at cheaper rates – even at 9 cents per unit. The research being quoted by the textile lobbyists may well be outdated, as the very sources mentioned in the research indicate that electricity tariff for industries in Bangladesh are close to 11 cents, whereas those in India are north of 10 cents per unit.

In terms of natural gas, there is a clear advantage that competitors have over Pakistani textile players, based on PIDE’s research titled “Regionally Competitive Energy Tariffs and Textile Sector’s Competitiveness” from 2020. BR Research has not been able to independently verify the same. That said the overall picture in terms of regionally competitive tariffs is not as bleak as some representative bodies of the textile sector would paint. Surely, the power tariffs are nowhere close to 7.4 cents, which is being termed as “ideal”.

The second most significant element in conversion cost is labor, which accounts for roughly 29 percent as compared to 35 percent of power and fuel, as per PIDE’s aforementioned research. Pakistan’s labor rates are 80 percent lower than that of India and only 12 percent cheaper than that of Bangladesh. Given the massive currency depreciation in the past two years, the labor wages in dollar terms have only tilted more in favor of Pakistan - as no other currency in the region has seen such a hammering.

As per data provided by the Punjab Bureau of Statistics, wages in textile sector have grown at an average of 2 percent every quarter in rupee terms, since 1QFY19. The data presented in the “Monthly Survey of Industrial Production & Employment in the Punjab” puts the average monthly wage at Rs18,608 per worker in the industry.

The disregard to minimum wage law is best left for another day, but even if one assumes wage rate to have outgrown historic average of 8 quarters, growing by 4 percent quarter-on-quarter instead, the wage rate in dollar terms comes at $115. This is still lower than what it was 12 quarters ago, having seen the lows of $102 during the journey. Granted that the LSM approach will have shortcomings in terms of inclusion, but it is difficult to see the ground reality deviating any significantly from the trend.

One can safely say that Pakistan’s textile is getting electricity at better rates than India and Bangladesh, even though gas is still pricier – which may or may not put Pakistan at par in terms of regionally competitive energy tariffs. One can say with a greater degree of certainty that the rupee hammering has given a head start to Pakistan in terms of labor costs. Let’s not even go into the concessional financing schemes out there. But surely, based on these numbers, this is as competitive as it gets for Pakistan. It is now up to the industry to prove the mettle and show the growth.

Is #Bangladesh heading toward a #SriLanka-like #economic crisis? #Imports surging to reach $85 billion this year, #exports $50 billion. $35 billion trade deficit, leaving $10 billion current account deficit after #remittances. #energy #food #inflation https://www.dw.com/en/is-bangladesh-heading-toward-a-sri-lanka-like...

Like Colombo, Dhaka has also taken on massive foreign loans to embark on what critics call "white elephant" projects. The economic turmoil in Sri Lanka should serve as a cautionary tale, say experts.

Sri Lanka has been mired in economic turmoil over the past few months, with the country battling severe shortages of essential items and running out of petrol, medicines and foreign reserves amid an acute balance of payments crisis.

The resulting public fury targeting the government triggered mass street protests and political upheaval, forcing the resignation of Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa and his Cabinet, and the appointment of a new prime minister.

Many in Bangladesh fear that their country could face a similar situation, given the rising trade deficit and foreign debt burden.

Bangladesh imported goods worth $61.52 billion (€58.48 billion) in the first nine months of the 2021-2022 fiscal year, a rise of 43.9% compared to the same period last year.

Exports, however, rose at a slower pace of 32.9% while remittances from Bangladeshis living abroad — a key source of foreign exchange — dropped about 20% in the first four months of 2022 from the year before, to $7 billion.

'Foreign reserves will go down to a dangerous level'
Muinul Islam, a Bangladeshi economist and former professor at Chittagong University, fears that the trade deficit could grow in the coming years as imports are increasing at a faster pace than exports.

"Our imports are set to reach $85 billion by this year, while exports won't be more than $50 billion. And, the trade deficit of $35 billion can't be bridged by remittances alone," Islam told DW, adding: "We will have to live with around a $10 billion shortfall this year."

The expert also pointed out that Bangladesh's foreign exchange reserves have fallen from $48 billion to $42 billion over the past eight months. He is worried that they may drop further in the coming months, likely down another $4 billion.

"If the trend of more imports against exports continues and we fail to minimize the gap with the remittances, our foreign reserves will go down to a dangerous level in the next three to four years," he stressed, underlining that this would lead to a significant devaluation of the nation's currency against the US dollar.

Massive loans for 'white elephant' projects?
Bangladesh, like Sri Lanka, has also taken on foreign loans in recent years to fund what critics call "white elephant" projects, which are expensive but totally unprofitable.

These "unnecessary projects" could cause trouble when the time comes to repay the debts, Islam said.

"We have taken a loan of $12 billion from Russia for a nuclear power plant which has a production capacity of just 2,400 megawatts. We can repay the debt in 20 years but the installments will be $565 million per year from 2025," he pointed out. "It's the worst kind of a white elephant project."

In total, the country will likely have to repay $4 billion per year from 2024, as installments for foreign loans, Islam estimated.

"I fear Bangladesh won't be able to repay those loans at that time because of the shortage of income from the mega projects," he stressed.

The ground under Sheikh Hasina’s feet is shifting

By Avinash Paliwal

https://www.hindustantimes.com/opinion/the-ground-under-sheikh-hasi...

Bangladesh's foreign minister
AK Abdul Momen arrived in
India last month to fight polit-
ical fires. But he found himself
dealing with massive floods
that hit Sylhet and Assam.
Nature has its ways to convey
that not all is well in India's
near-east. Far from the glitz
about Bangladesh's economic
success, on display during the
recent inauguration of the
Padma Bridge, clampdown on
Islamists, and shrewd man-
agement of big power rivalries,
is a parallel potent reality of
Prime Minister Sheikh Has-
ina's authoritarianism,
heightened polarisation, and
economic distress. As an
Indian official mentioned to
me, and a Bangladeshi official
echoed. Hasina "has built a
house of cards"
The economic, social, and
political ground under Has-
ina's feet is shifting in real
time. It is slow enough to be
dismissed as non-urgent, but
sure enough to become press-
ing, if not dealt with urgently.
With general elections due in
2023, and external debt repay-
ment schedules kicking in
from 2024, it is a matter of
time for the veneer of (forced)
stability to lose its sheen. The
risk of dislocation, if not col-
lapse, of this so-called house
of cards has increased in
recent years, and it could
undermine whatever is left of
India's connectivity aspira-
tions in its near east.
Domestically, the Hasina gov-
ernment has exacerbated two
contradictions in a tradition-
ally polarised polity. One, she
is in power, but with little to
no electoral legitimacy. The
Awami League's (AL) manipu-
lation of the 2014 and 20118
elections (a practice not just
reserved for national elections
and against opponents),
unceasing harassment of its
key opponent, the Bangladesh
Nationalist Party (BNP), gag-
ging of media, social media
monitoring using advanced
digital surveillance, and a
forced tilt towards the conser-
vative Islamic Right as a bal-
ancing move after targeting
these formations using force,
has created wide pockets of
intense frustration.
Unlike her father, Sheikh
Mujibur Rahman, who created
a one-party State, but failed to
contain a famine in 1974, Has-
ina has placed her bets on eco-
nomic development. The argu-
ment runs that good economic
performance coupled with lib
eral use of force will make a
one-party State under Has-
ina's leadership sustainable.
But this is where the second
contradiction kicks in.
Bangladesh's external debt to
Gross Domestic Product ratio
has increased to 21.8%, import
spending has shot up by nearly
44%, forex reserves of $42
billion are falling and can
cover about five months'
worth of imports, and the rev-
enue from readymade gar-
ments export and remittances
is not keeping pace with the
fast rising costs to the
exchequer.


Couple this with the global
inflation created by the Rus-
sia-ukraine war and United
Statesled sanctions, and it
becomes clear why Momen is
asking India to remove anti-
dumping duties on Banglade-
shi jute exports. Further com-
plicating this situation is
Dhaka's propensity to accept
external loans for infrastruc-
tural projects at highly inflated
costs, making repayment dif-
ficult. One of the cases in point
is the 2015 Rooppur Nuclear
Power Plant deal with Russia
for which Dhaka is to repay
$13.5 billion. India paid $3 bil-
lion for a similar plant in
Kudankulam.
Why does Dhaka accept such
deals? Because external fin-
ance fuels (limited) infra-
structural growth, chronic
corruption, and keeps the
political illusion of economic
development alive. To be clear
and fair, Bangladesh's eco-
nomic journey has been more
than commendable. But to
expect an economic miracle,
which is bound to dwindle due
to internal or external shocks,
to sustain a corrupt system
pretending to be a democracy
is a tall ask. Herein, Hasina has
ensured that neither the
Islamists nor the BNP
which enjovs public sympathy,
even if it may not get a fair
election - pose a serious
challenge to her.

The ground under Sheikh Hasina’s feet is shifting

By Avinash Paliwal

https://www.hindustantimes.com/opinion/the-ground-under-sheikh-hasi...

But her real challenge doesn't
come from known opponents.
It comes from opaque factions
within a securitised State (and
the party) that has made so
much illicit profit that being
out of power is not an option
for them. This leaves Hasina
with an unenviable dilemma.
Either she allows free elections
and risks being ousted or
manipulates them and invites
international opprobrium that
could unleash mass protests
and violence. Bereft of a clear
succession plan, both these
scenarios could tempt oppor-
tunistic adversaries to force a
regime change, of which there
is an unfortunately rich his-
tory in Bangladesh.
Hasina's internal problems are
linked to external dependen-
cies. Politically reliant on New
Delhi, she is finding it increas-
ingly difficult to manage the
ramifications of India's turn
towards Hindu nationalism
that misuses migration from
Bangladesh and the Rohingya
crisis for domestic electoral
gain. Similarly, accepting of
Chinese finance that may not
translate into political sup-
port, Dhaka is struggling to
keep targeted US sanctions
against the Rapid Action Bat-
talion, an anticrime and anti-
terrorism unit of the
Bangladesh Police, for serious
human rights violations, at
bay. Dhaka's replacement of
its ambassador in Washington
DC after a visit by a team of AL
parliamentarians from the
standing committee on foreign
affairs will make little differ-
ence in how the US deals with
Bangladesh.
Add to this, an uptick in
demand for repatriating
Rohingya migrants - some of
whom have been silently
resettled in the Chittagong Hill
Tracts to the locals' displeas-
ure - to Myanmar, including
within Bangladesh's military
establishment, and the situ-
ation becomes even more
volatile. Hasina requires a
political off-ramp to prevent a
foreseeable crisis that can turn
violent. The last thing the sub-
continent needs is turmoil in
Bangladesh

America Pays a High Price for Low Wages

https://www.wsj.com/articles/america-pays-a-high-price-for-low-wage...

For decades the U.S. has used wage subsidies to support the country’s lowest-paid workers—a welfare system that keeps the poor down, primarily benefits the wealthy and undermines technological innovation.

In “The Wealth of Nations,” the founding text of free-market economics, Adam Smith took it for granted that workers should be paid enough to cover the living costs of themselves and their dependents. “A man must always live by his work, and his wages must at least be sufficient to maintain him,” wrote Smith. “They must even upon most occasions be somewhat more, otherwise it would be impossible for him to bring up a family, and the race of such workmen could not last beyond the first generation.”

In the last half-century, policy makers of both parties in the U.S. have successfully refuted Adam Smith. It turns out that it is indeed possible to pay wages to workers that are too low for their own maintenance, much less that of their families. This depends on using means-tested welfare programs like the earned-income tax credit (EITC), food stamps and housing vouchers, all of which compensate for wages that are too low for workers to live on.

Since its creation in 1975, the EITC, a federal wage subsidy for low-income workers and their children, has been expanded repeatedly under Democratic and Republican presidents alike. Many states also have their own versions of the EITC. Liberals like the EITC because it reduces absolute poverty, and conservatives like it because it attaches a work requirement to welfare.

But it is a myth that wage subsidies like the EITC “make work pay.” On the contrary, they make taxpayers pay to rescue workers whose work does not pay enough. Nor are such wage subsidies an alternative to welfare. They are welfare in the form of cash rather than in-kind benefits like food stamps or housing vouchers. The term “refundable tax credit” is just a euphemism for redistributing income.

Wage subsidies also entangle eligible workers in the operations of the welfare state and its complex paperwork. It is puzzling that many critics of big government support the EITC, a costly federal welfare program that partly socializes the incomes of millions of American workers and makes their employers reliant on government spending.

We can call the current American labor market system the low-wage/high-welfare model. It is a success from the perspective of employers who get to pay lower wages. It is also a success for some consumers, since lower wages mean lower prices. The losers include taxpayers, the working poor themselves and workers who are not poor but fear poverty. The low-wage model also saps the incentives for technological innovation, because cheap labor so often substitutes for labor-saving machinery.