Step Up Competence Of Garment Industry
THE garment industry is the second largest
contributor to the government’s foreign currency reserve. Besides being the major
building block of the national economy, the industry has also been providing employment to
a large number of people. Despite the economic strength it wields the gradual decline in
the export of garments over the years has send ripples in the much coveted industrial
activity. The reason for the decline of exports is quite obvious. Garments produced in
Nepal are facing a stiff competition in the international markets. The state of affairs as
regards the quality of Nepalese garments is making a beckoning call on the government to
devise a mechanism to monitor the quality of the products. The sooner the government gives
a serious thought to step up quality control, the quicker will the industry recover the
loss. Nearly five years have elapsed since the breaking of the news that the Generalised
System of Preference (GSP) given to Nepalese exporters would be withdrawn by the end of
2004. But the sorry tale is that no substantial homework was done to hammer out a
strategy, which could minimize the risks to be faced by Nepalese garments in the wake of
the proposed withdrawal of GSP. A two day national workshop on Competitiveness,
Productivity and Job Quality in Garments Industry in Nepal was organised recently in view
of the impending challenges before the Industry. The workshop has called upon the industry
to develop strategies for enhancing competitiveness. At the same time it has proposed that
the government needs to activate its diplomatic channels in the line of seeking the GSP
for the export of garments. It would augur well for the government to first work jointly
with the industrialists and conduct strict monitoring of the quality aspect before using
its good offices to seek GSP as the mistake of trying to propose for the continuation of
the GSP without ensuring the quality could backfire. The commendable part of the entire
exercise to lift the garment industry out of the murky waters is that the government is
cognizant of the challenges faced in the wake of the impending removal of quota system for
the garment exports by the end of 2004. Given the fact that the government and the private
sector have agreed to work hand in hand to address the intricacies plaguing the garment
industry, there are ample reasons to hope for the better health of the industry in the
days ahead.
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