Steering group to guide apparel industry

By DITA DE BONI

The highly fragmented textile, apparel and footwear industry looks likely to follow the forestry sector's footsteps and have a Government-organised steering group.

Textiles has been identified by the Ministry of Economic Development as a "transforming industry" alongside manufacturing, wood processing and tourism.

Plans are afoot to bring together the sector's "grassroot figures, industry leaders and creative thinkers" with Government officials to discuss how legislative obstacles can be overcome.

The process mirrors a similar steering group already established for the forestry industry and a process about to be launched for the manufacturing industry.

John Pagani, spokesman for Economic Development Minister Jim Anderton, said preliminary meetings with key sector people would start shortly, although the textile industry steering group was still at the nascent stage.

He warned the Government would not act as a fix-it agent for the industry.

"[It] doesn't go in there with a long list of things [it] is going to 'do' to the industry, but will contribute by identifying obstacles and opportunities - that kind of thing," he said.

Issues up for discussion include how the industry will cope when the already minimal tariffs on competing imports drop to zero between 2004 and 2006, and how agreements such as the proposed free trade agreement with Hong Kong will affect an already weakened apparel manufacturing sector.

Representatives of the apparel, textile and footwear associations said late this week that they had not been formally approached by the ministry.

But they acknowledged that some informal approaches by ministry officials carrying out preliminary investigations into the industry's requirements had taken place.

The chief executive of the Apparel and Textile Federation, Paul Blomfield, said the urgent needs of the industry were more skilled workers, mentoring and assistance by experts, and promotional opportunities.

A ministry spokeswoman confirmed that plans and proposals for the steering group would not be released yet.

She said that conversations were under way.