Faisalabad moves to become Pakistan’s first circular city for textile compliance, exports: FCCI President

FAISALABAD, Oct 05 (APP): Faisalabad Chamber of Commerce & Industry (FCCI) President Arif Ehsan Malik said that Faisalabad has begun practical groundwork to become Pakistan’s first circular city in the textile sector while FCCI is struggling to turn industrial waste into a resource, meet European Union compliance requirements and safeguard access of the city to international export markets.

He made these remarks during a meeting with a delegation of the Faisalabad Dyes & Chemical Merchants Association (FDCMA).

He outlined the chamber’s initiative to promote a circular economy in major textile hub of the country.

He said that Faisalabad’s industrial portfolio had expanded over the years, but textile remained dominant sector of the city and continued to be the country’s largest source of foreign exchange earnings through exports.

The FCCI President said that the European Union was moving towards minimizing industrial waste generated by different sectors in an effort to control environmental pollution and address the resulting environmental challenges.

Compliance with evolving international environmental requirements had therefore become increasingly important for Pakistan’s export-oriented industries, he added.

He said that more than 100 units were already operating in Faisalabad to recycle and reuse textile waste, describing their presence as a valuable foundation for developing a comprehensive circular economy ecosystem.

However, there was a need to organize these enterprises, maximize their collective potential, link their operations with relevant EU compliance requirements and create new employment opportunities through the systematic utilization of industrial waste, he added.

He said that FCCI had announced its initiative to develop Faisalabad as Pakistan’s first circular city with a particular focus on the textile sector while practical measures and proposals were being developed to translate the initiative into action.

This initiative could help reduce environmental pollution in the industrial city while supporting the uninterrupted continuation of exports to European Union markets by enabling local industries to better respond to international environmental and sustainability requirements, he added.

He said that the transition towards a circular textile economy would also open new opportunities for the textile sector and its allied vendor industries which needed to prepare themselves to benefit from emerging requirements and markets.

The FCCI President also appreciated the active role played by Faisalabad Dyes & Chemical Merchants Association in chamber affairs, saying that the association had produced several presidents who had rendered valuable services not only to their respective sector but also to the business community, Faisalabad and the country.

He announced that a standing committee comprising 10 active members of the association would be constituted to identify sector-specific challenges and recommend practical, workable and result-oriented measures for their resolution.

He also emphasized further strengthening coordination and communication between FCCI and the association so that the issues affecting this sector could be addressed more effectively.

Earlier, Senior Vice President FCCI Mian Muhammad Saeed thanked the delegation for visiting FCCI and urged the association members to submit their sector-related problems in writing so that concrete measures could be initiated for their resolution.

Former FCCI presidents Shabbir Hussain Chawla and Ayub Sabir besides Mughees Khokhar, Khawaja Javed, Nabeel Ahmad Chauhan, Khalid Latif and other members also spoke on the occasion and discussed matters concerning the dyes and chemicals sector.

Earlier, the Dyes and Chemical Merchants Association presented bouquets to FCCI President Arif Ehsan Malik and Senior Vice President Mian Muhammad Saeed on assuming their new responsibilities, congratulated them and assured them of their full cooperation.