Industrial units in ROZs to follow labour laws

The leaders of American trade unions who have an influential role in US legislation that include granting market access to key allies, like Pakistan. These leaders want enforcement of international labour standards and compliance of Decent Work in the industrial and business houses to be set up in the proposed Reconstruction Opportunity Zones (ROZs). The zones are being planned to be set up with American assistance all along on Pakistan-Afghanistan border in the NWFP and Balochistan.

President Bush has promised a duty-free market access of products from such ROZs in his country as Americans have done similarly in West Bank of Jordan and a few African and South American countries to generate employment and contribute to economic prosperity of the friendly companies and faithful allies.

Quite a few businessmen in Karachi have visited the ROZs set up at the West Bank in Jordan and Palestine where a large number of Arab women, mostly Palestine Christians, have found employment opportunities and immensely improved on their economic prosperity. Businessmen also quote Liberian trade zones as another success story where women are playing a key role in changing and bringing sense in a violence-ridden society.

However, the economic experts cautioned that availability of duty free access in US market to textile products of Bangladesh and Cambodia would neutralize any advantage that Pakistan was expecting from production in ROZs.

While Pakistan is still waiting for a bill to be presented in the US Congress for duty-free access to the US markets for products made in the Reconstruction Opportunity Zones (ROZs) and in earthquake-affected areas, a bill for duty free access to Bangladesh and Cambodia has been approved in the US Congress.

For Pakistan a US partner in its fight against terrorism the proposed bill for ROZs offers duty free access to only two textile value added categories produced in Pakistan while for poorer countries it is for all textiles. Bangladesh already has an edge over Pakistan in the European market where it has market access at zero rates under GSP while Pakistani textiles are subjected to 13%-19% duties.