Businesses encouraged to find niche in garment-making

Trade Minister Paula Gopee-Scoon, right, and TT Manufacturers' Association president Franka Costelloe, left, tour Janouras Custom Design Limited in Chaguanas with chairman and managing director George Janoura on Wednesday. - Angelo Marcelle
Trade Minister Paula Gopee-Scoon, right, and TT Manufacturers' Association president Franka Costelloe, left, tour Janouras Custom Design Limited in Chaguanas with chairman and managing director George Janoura on Wednesday. - Angelo Marcelle

Trade Minister Paula Gopee-Scoon is encouraging more businesses to get into the garment construction industry.

Gopee-Scoon spoke to the media during a short tour of Janouras uniform factory in Chaguanas on Wednesday afternoon, when she challenged more citizens to find a niche in the sector.

“We're very pleased about this industry and what Janouras has done over the years in terms of the training and also in terms of the infusion of technology into the process of garment manufacturing, and of course with the exports as well – to the extent where now I understand that they are net exporters, so that they are exporting 40 to 45 per cent of what they produce here.”

She said the government is keen on boosting businesses involved in this sector through its recently introduced $50 million National Export Booster Initiative. The initiative was launched on February 16 and aims to promote the exports of locally manufactured goods.

“Certainly we want to look at this subset of manufacturing in the garment industry for growth. And so we're going to look at various garment industries at this level and at different levels.

“This is quite a large outlet, and then we're going to look at another medium-size and small place. This (has) really grown and also provides enormous employment, because even though you have the technology and fusion, you do have stitchers employed. This industry employs a considerable number of people.”

Gopee-Scoon remained optimistic about seeing more garment businesses pop up and produce high-quality garments. It’s a business, she said, that can grow and can certainly generate foreign exchange.

Janouras chairman and managing director George Janoura told the media, “When we embarked on (upgrading) technology, people feel when you get into technology, people lose jobs. From the day we went into technology, we employed more people. Because we became more efficient, we became more competitive and we (make) more marketable products."

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"Businesses encouraged to find niche in garment-making"

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