28 March 2004
AMMAN. The Jordanian Garments, Accessories and Textiles Exporters' Association (JGATE), envisioning the transformation of the garment sector into a world-class fashion industry, was launched by the Jordan-United States Business Partnership (JUSBP) late Thursday .
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Industry and Trade Mohammad Halaiqa, deputising for Prime Minister Faisal Al Faisal, described the launching of JGATE as “an evidence of a healthy private sector adapting to economic policies and moving in the right direction.”
“Who could have imagined that, in a few years, Jordan would be able to export as much as its competing neighbours Syria and Egypt,” he exclaimed, calling on all parties concerned to support JGATE, “because its growth and success reflects Jordan's economic growth and success.”
“Some were concerned and worried of Jordan's accession to the World Trade Organisation, but evidently their sceptisim was unfounded,” he added, inviting all parties to work hand-in-hand to make Jordan a better place.
The launching ceremony was attended by ambassadors, and businessmen of the garment sector.
JGATE is a nonprofit, private sector initiative aimed at driving the industry's growth and serving as the focal point for all activities related to the garment sector.
The association will provide leadership and support to principal industry stakeholders and supporting partners.
“This establishment emerged to plug a widening gap in cooperation between enterprises in the sector and to facilitate the sector's growth to enable it become more competitive,” the association's chairman, Samir Maqdah, told The Jordan Times in an interview late Thursday.
“Because of lack of coordination, the flow of orders coming from abroad is disproportionate to the production level here,” CEO Rashed Darwazeh indicated.
Under the slogan “Stitching Jordan to the World,” JGATE highlights its mission as increasing the sector's competitiveness, expanding export capacity, connecting members to the resources necessary to build export networks, attracting investments, improving management know-how, strengthening marketing and promotion, improving supply chain collaboration, enhancing production and design capabilities and advocating policy development and reforms.
Darwazeh explained that Jordanian manufacturers must upgrade their selling approach from “order-taking” to building partnership with buyers in order to enhance orders up to the standards of famous brands.
“We will suggest fashion programmes in new contexts and introduce fashion design to further raise the quality of garments' production.”
Darwazeh added, pointing that Turkey which is planning to establish a garment factory here has successfully built a harmonised garments sector.
“We will be focusing on networking by activating collaboration through a forum that generates leads, builds domestic cooperation, forms global export alliances, and publicises industry news and events,” Darwazeh indicated, adding that JGATE will start by studying the sector's needs and potential before moving on merging capabilities and strategy.
Maqdah highlighted the need to increase the added value of the sector, stressing that the association will be working on this regard through parallel channels, most importantly building vertical integration, so that Jordan can also manufacture the sector's production equipment.
“Jordan's textile imports reached $650 million. Of this amount, $40 million were production equipment imported for use by factories in the Qualified Industrial Zones,” he pointed out.
“If we switch from the QIZ mechanism to the utilisation of the US-Jordan Free Trade Agreement, we might be able to build this integration which will increase the added value,” Maqdah said.
In addition to introducing fashion design to Jordan, Maqdah remarked that JGATE will be training the sector's employees at all levels to increase their professional skills and become as skilled as foreign workers employed in garment factories.
According to Darwazeh and Maqdah, any company, whether Jordanian or foreign, can join JGATE whether garments or textile factories, banks, freight companies, insurance companies... etc.
“Jordanian and foreign garments factories in Jordan, has the same chances of producing fashion garments, but we must learn from both to be able to achieve our vision,” Maqdah added. Jordanian and foreign factories operating in Jordan already produce brands like Levi Strauss, Gap, Hanes, Van House, Quell, Calvin Klein, and others.
The chairman indicated that in the QIZs alone, more than 64 garment factories are operating with a total investment capital of JD82 million. These factories employ more than 35,000 workers and have successfully exported products worth $650 million to become first among Jordanian exports.
Darwazeh said JGATE is the outcome of strenuous efforts exerted by the Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation, the Ministry of Industry and Trade, the Jordan Export Development Corporation (JEDCO), Euro-Jordanian Action for the Development of Enterprise (EJADA), the Jordan Investment Board, AMIR, and JUSBP.
JUSBP is a programme operated by the International Executive Services Corps (IESC) and is funded under a cooperative agreement with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).
The Industrial Development Directorate of the Ministry of Industry and Trade is JUSBP's counterpart organisation.
AMMAN. The Jordanian Garments, Accessories and Textiles Exporters' Association (JGATE), envisioning the transformation of the garment sector into a world-class fashion industry, was launched by the Jordan-United States Business Partnership (JUSBP) late Thursday .
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Industry and Trade Mohammad Halaiqa, deputising for Prime Minister Faisal Al Faisal, described the launching of JGATE as “an evidence of a healthy private sector adapting to economic policies and moving in the right direction.”
“Who could have imagined that, in a few years, Jordan would be able to export as much as its competing neighbours Syria and Egypt,” he exclaimed, calling on all parties concerned to support JGATE, “because its growth and success reflects Jordan's economic growth and success.”
“Some were concerned and worried of Jordan's accession to the World Trade Organisation, but evidently their sceptisim was unfounded,” he added, inviting all parties to work hand-in-hand to make Jordan a better place.
The launching ceremony was attended by ambassadors, and businessmen of the garment sector.
JGATE is a nonprofit, private sector initiative aimed at driving the industry's growth and serving as the focal point for all activities related to the garment sector.
The association will provide leadership and support to principal industry stakeholders and supporting partners.
“This establishment emerged to plug a widening gap in cooperation between enterprises in the sector and to facilitate the sector's growth to enable it become more competitive,” the association's chairman, Samir Maqdah, told The Jordan Times in an interview late Thursday.
“Because of lack of coordination, the flow of orders coming from abroad is disproportionate to the production level here,” CEO Rashed Darwazeh indicated.
Under the slogan “Stitching Jordan to the World,” JGATE highlights its mission as increasing the sector's competitiveness, expanding export capacity, connecting members to the resources necessary to build export networks, attracting investments, improving management know-how, strengthening marketing and promotion, improving supply chain collaboration, enhancing production and design capabilities and advocating policy development and reforms.
Darwazeh explained that Jordanian manufacturers must upgrade their selling approach from “order-taking” to building partnership with buyers in order to enhance orders up to the standards of famous brands.
“We will suggest fashion programmes in new contexts and introduce fashion design to further raise the quality of garments' production.”
Darwazeh added, pointing that Turkey which is planning to establish a garment factory here has successfully built a harmonised garments sector.
“We will be focusing on networking by activating collaboration through a forum that generates leads, builds domestic cooperation, forms global export alliances, and publicises industry news and events,” Darwazeh indicated, adding that JGATE will start by studying the sector's needs and potential before moving on merging capabilities and strategy.
Maqdah highlighted the need to increase the added value of the sector, stressing that the association will be working on this regard through parallel channels, most importantly building vertical integration, so that Jordan can also manufacture the sector's production equipment.
“Jordan's textile imports reached $650 million. Of this amount, $40 million were production equipment imported for use by factories in the Qualified Industrial Zones,” he pointed out.
“If we switch from the QIZ mechanism to the utilisation of the US-Jordan Free Trade Agreement, we might be able to build this integration which will increase the added value,” Maqdah said.
In addition to introducing fashion design to Jordan, Maqdah remarked that JGATE will be training the sector's employees at all levels to increase their professional skills and become as skilled as foreign workers employed in garment factories.
According to Darwazeh and Maqdah, any company, whether Jordanian or foreign, can join JGATE whether garments or textile factories, banks, freight companies, insurance companies... etc.
“Jordanian and foreign garments factories in Jordan, has the same chances of producing fashion garments, but we must learn from both to be able to achieve our vision,” Maqdah added. Jordanian and foreign factories operating in Jordan already produce brands like Levi Strauss, Gap, Hanes, Van House, Quell, Calvin Klein, and others.
The chairman indicated that in the QIZs alone, more than 64 garment factories are operating with a total investment capital of JD82 million. These factories employ more than 35,000 workers and have successfully exported products worth $650 million to become first among Jordanian exports.
Darwazeh said JGATE is the outcome of strenuous efforts exerted by the Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation, the Ministry of Industry and Trade, the Jordan Export Development Corporation (JEDCO), Euro-Jordanian Action for the Development of Enterprise (EJADA), the Jordan Investment Board, AMIR, and JUSBP.
JUSBP is a programme operated by the International Executive Services Corps (IESC) and is funded under a cooperative agreement with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).
The Industrial Development Directorate of the Ministry of Industry and Trade is JUSBP's counterpart organisation.
By Rami Abdelrahman
© Jordan Times 2004
