280 jobs created in clothing sector

09 Aug, 2015 - 00:08 0 Views

The Sunday News

AT least 280 jobs were added in the clothing industry since January, despite closure of four companies during the same period, an official has said.

National Employment Council for the Clothing Industry general secretary general secretary Mr Justice Mashinti said the revival of Archer Clothing by Paramount Garments had brought a new lease of life into the troubled sector.

“We now have four companies that have closed since January this year but fortunately because of Archer, which was taken over by Paramount Garments, our employees have gone up to 6 083 from 5 803 and we have increased by 280 more. Archer now has 620 employees and they are expecting to employ more,” he said.

Mr Mashinti said if more investors could partner with the troubled companies, the clothing sector would be revived.

“We just wish some other investors can come and do like what Paramount Garments has done to Archer,” said Mr Mashinti.

He said the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) has not paid more than $800 000 it owes to three firms for uniforms supplied.

“There is nothing that we received (from ZRP) and one of the companies actually closed and 101 workers have already gone and nothing has come out of it. Every time they knock on their doors they say that the Treasury is empty,” he said, although he did not name the affected companies.

In 2006 the industry had 25 560 workers but the majority have been retrenched as most companies have closed.

The sector has been under heavy strain from different challenges, chief among them lack of capital, high utility bills and thinning markets.

The flooding of cheap imports has also been a major challenge to the viability of the clothing sector.

However, the Government has announced a ban on second hand clothing as a way of supporting local companies.

Presenting the 2015 Mid-Term Fiscal Policy Review Statement last week, Finance Minister Patrick Chinamasa said the move to ban second hand clothing in the country was meant to reduce competition between imports and local products, a factor that had adversely affected local industry.

 

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