Fozia Azam

Pakistan Sports Goods Manufacturers and Exporters Association (PSGMEA) has urged the government to establish a state-of-the-art material testing laboratory for sports goods to get the industry’s products tested and certified to be accepted internationally. “At present, Pakistan lacks an internationally acclaimed accredited material testing laboratory for sports goods due to which the exporters have to send their samples abroad to get their products tested and certified as per international standards,” the PSGMEA Secretary General Mohsin Masood told WealthPK.

He said this practice ultimately adds to the cost of doing business and is logistically hectic for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). He said joint working groups are required to bring latest technologies into Pakistan, and the government should recognise sports goods manufacturing as a special sector. “The sports goods industry wants the government to enter into an arrangement with any internationally accredited laboratory for the establishment of such a laboratory for exporters at affordable rates to make it easy to send their products to international markets,” Mohsin said.

He said that sports goods sector is contributing towards the economy of Pakistan in multiple ways by providing employment opportunities, generating national income, increasing foreign exchange and boosting national trade. Sialkot is the capital of the country’s sports industry, and about 95% of products manufactured in small and medium industries of the city are exported to various countries. The number of permanent manufacturing units which are engaged in regular and consistent manufacturing throughout the year can be estimated at 1,500 and more than 60,000 people are engaged directly or indirectly with export activities of sports goods in Sialkot.

Mohsin opined that the expertise of Sports Industry Development Centre (SIDC) Sialkot should be utilised in developing facilities in substantial numbers to cater to the growing requirements of the sports industry as per the requirements and timelines given by international buyers. The PSGMEA secretary general said that clearly defined priorities can boost the domestic environment for potential exporters by establishing strategic cooperation between private and public actors, which can improve productivity and technological content of domestic goods and serve to build the country’s image in foreign markets. Sports goods industry has been an important source of the foreign exchange earnings for the country. It contributes 1.51% to total exports. Football with 43% share is the major export item in sports goods.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan-WealthPk