PR Resource – Muarateweh.net

Every day we hear about problems faced by the textile industry in Pakistan, with high cost and low prices offered by buyers.

I have been working as a buyer in a sport apparel company in New Jersey for three years and before that I was an assistant buyer for a home textile importer for almost two years. I have worked with many companies from various countries.

My experience with Pakistan’s businessmen is that many are not good salesmen (exceptions are there). They don’t know how to get better prices for their product. We buy huge quantities of apparel from Nepal, India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh but their salesmen are tough negotiators as compared to Pakistan’s.

If I tell a Pakistani salesman that I am getting X prices from his competitor in Pakistan, then this gentleman will immediately reduce his prices by five to 10 per cent, without even giving second thoughts. In fact I was just bluffing and the salesperson falls into my trap.

This is just one example of our Pakistani exporters’ mentality to just cut the prices to get orders and then cry that our competing countries give us tough time, but in reality I am buying goods at higher prices from other Asian countries.

I request the government and local textile associations to have a base price for Pakistani product and make sure no one sells below this price so that Pakistani goods can fetch better prices. Our government should also discourage (by imposing taxes) or ban export of yarn and fabric to the competing country, to enable our garment exporters to have a little edge over others.

Our exporters should use common sense that ours is a cotton-producing country, and many Asian countries, with huge textile export, actually import cotton and fabric from Pakistan itself. How can then they produce cheaper goods, as cotton makes more than 50 per cent of the cost, whereas labour and other expenses have much less percentage in cost factors?

I know it for a fact that Pakistani goods can match product of any country where quality is concerned as I personally compared it with similar products from other countries and most of the time I find our quality better.

High prices and inflation have hit all countries, forcing exporters to increase their prices accordingly. Even we are forced to buy at higher prices. I don’t know why Pakistani exporters cannot get higher prices and only come up with lame excuses?

I would suggest to Pakistani businessmen to hire good salespeople if they cannot sell for themselves. If they are themselves selling, then they should be proud, confident and prepared before coming to sell. There are quite a few Pakistani exporters who in even today’s market are very successful and get better prices from importers.

MOHAMMAD TAHIR

Bellmawr, NJ, USA

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