“On the other hand, suspicions of the current aid-for-trade offers of some industrialised countries are entirely justified”, said Mr. Kearney. “To be credible such aid-for-trade needs to be predictable, sustainable and new. It should be used to develop a manufacturing infrastructure making use of local raw materials thus adding value and creating employment and not on traditional forms of capacity building where resources are largely eaten up by consultancies based in the developed world”.
"A positive and ambitious move would be to use aid-for-trade resources to build a competitive African textile industry using locally grown cotton. Investment in infrastructure such as ginning capacity, spinning, weaving and knitting facilities would add value and provide much needed employment and contribute in a practical way to poverty reduction across Africa."
"This would also provide the backward linkages needed for export competitiveness and for qualification for preferential quota and tariff access to industrialized world markets”, he concluded.
The International Textile, Garment and Leather Workers Federation is an International Trade Secretariat bringing together 217 affiliated organisations in 110 countries.
International Textile, Garment and Leather Workers' Federation
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