Story: Central Asian textile and clothing enterprises help turn the tide

Companies in Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan adopt a forward-looking approach to beat COVID-19.

by ITC News

Saparbek Asanov is the President of the Association of Light Industry Enterprises of Kyrgyzstan, “Legprom”.

According to him, textile and clothing companies in Kyrgyzstan have suffered a severe blow from the coronavirus. Out of 1000 factories in the capital Bishkek, only around 17 have managed to continue operations.

These factories have shifted their production towards meeting new consumer demands. One such factory is Aktis, a women’s garment manufacturing company, located in the suburban area of Bishkek.

During a critical shortage of masks and other protective equipment, Aktis recently completed an order of 2,500 facemasks and 350 personal protective garments for the civil volunteer movement, Narodnyi Shtab, which helps front-line workers fighting the coronavirus.

An additional 504 sets are to be produced in the coming weeks. The companies are not only determined to deliver top quality products but also to ensure the safety of their employees. All employees have received new uniforms including protective gloves and masks. Workshops are regularly disinfected.

A sense of duty towards those in need rather than economic interest drives these workers to leave their homes during this difficult time.

As part of the recovery plan, the Legprom Association, in close contact with garment manufacturers, is devising a post-COVID-19 strategy to support the textile and clothing sector in Kyrgyzstan.

New opportunities in Tajikistan

As a popular Tajik proverb says, when one door closes another opens – the pandemic opened up new opportunities for textile and clothing companies in the country. Products such as protective facemasks, medical uniforms, bed linen, hospital clothes, cotton bandage, and other medical and sanitary products are in great demand today.

Resandai Qurghontepp, one of the International Trade Centre’s (ITC) partners, produced and donated 100,000 facemasks to medical facilities in Bokhtar, the third-most populated city in the country. This example encouraged other ITC partners to engage and help. As a result, two companies, Mehrovar and Guldaston, also produced masks and donated to schools and hospitals in their region.

COVID-19 response initiatives have provided an opportunity for ITC partner companies to use the knowledge and information they gained at a training on corporate social responsibility last year.

More than 10 textile and clothing companies working with ITC have now shifted to the production of protective facemasks and other sanitary products.

Global Textiles and Clothing Programme

The International Trade Centre’s Global Textiles and Clothing Programme (GTEX) and its related work in the Middle East and North Africa (MENATEX) provides support to these companies in Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan.

The programme promotes Textile and Clothing (T&C) exports from countries in Central Asia, the Middle East and North Africa. The aim is to stimulate employment and income generation along the value chain.

The GTEX programme is funded by the Government of Switzerland and MENATEX is funded by the Government of Sweden for the MENA region.

Пандемия коронавируса: Что может сделать швейная промышленность во время этого кризиса?

Д-р Раджеш Бхеда

Генеральный и управляющий директор

Rajesh Bheda Consulting

Пандемию коронавируса можно назвать наихудшей международной чрезвычайной ситуацией, с которой столкнулось человечество в современной истории в виду ее глобального распространения и способности преподнести людям жестокий сюрприз. Нет сомнений в том, что пандемия окажет катастрофическое воздействие на весь мир.

В разных странах наблюдаются различные уровни распространения этого вируса. За несколькими исключениями, как например, Сингапур, ни одну страну не обойдут превратности этой пандемии.

Экономические последствия данного гуманитарного кризиса просто не укладываются в голове. Согласно информации, швейная промышленность будет одной из наиболее пострадавших отраслей. Поступают сообщения о том, что мировые гиганты моды «опускают ставни» на основных потребительских рынках США и Европы. Многие из них приостановили отгрузку готовой продукции, ожидающей в портах и на заводах по всему миру, большинство из которых расположены в Азии.

Опрос: Электронная коммерция

Примите участие в опросе по электронной коммерции, проводимом Международным Торговым Центром в рамках проекта по развитию торговли в странах Центральной Азии (Central Asia Ready4Trade Project), который финансируется Европейским Союзом.

Опрос проводится с целью ознакомления с текущей ситуацией в области электронной коммерции в Республике Таджикистан.

Результаты опроса помогут определить направления, в которых необходима поддержка и укрепление потенциала малого и среднего бизнеса.

Данный опрос проводится при содействии Торгово-промышленной палаты Республики Таджикистан и Ассоциации участников электронной коммерции Таджикистана.

Мы приглашаем предпринимателей оценить состояние экосистемы электронной коммерции. Участие в опросе займет приблизительно 15 минут.

Участие в опросе является добровольным и строго конфиденциальным. Данные опроса будут представлены в обобщенном виде.

Пожалуйста, приступите к опросу, по ссылке 

Ваше мнение очень ценно для нас. Благодарим за Ваше время и поддержку.

Рамазон муборак!

Дафтари Маркази тиҷорати байнулмилалӣ дар Ҷумҳурии Тоҷикистон кулли мусалмонони кишварро бо ҳулули моҳи шарифи Рамазон табрик мегӯяд.

Рамазони имсола дар саросари дунё бо рӯзҳои мушкиле мусодиф афтодааст. Биёед, пас аз ҳар адои салот дасти дуо сӯи боло бардорем ва рафъи ин балоҳоро илтиҷо намоем.

Худованд рӯзаву намозатонро қабул гардонад ва дуоҳоятонро мустаҷоб намояд.

Умедворем, ки соҳибкорони хайрхоҳи кишвар, аз ҷумла, соҳибкорони соҳаи нассоҷӣ ва дӯзандагӣ, ки онҳо низ имрӯз бо истеҳсоли ниқоби тиббӣ дар муқовимат ба вирус саҳм мегузоранд, дар паҳлӯи мардум бо дасту дили боз бошанд.

Инсоният айёми сангинро зиёд дидааст ва ин рӯзҳо ҳам мегузаранду, танҳо некиву покдилист, ки боқӣ мемонад.

Рамазон муборак!

Survey: Tell us how your business is affected by COVID-19

ITC launches worldwide survey to assess the economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic on global businesses

by ITC News

The coronavirus outbreak is causing an unprecedented global health emergency and a global economic slowdown.

The impact on millions of micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) is threatening long-term economic development and social welfare around the world.

The International Trade Centre is calling on businesses around the world to share their experiences of how the COVID-19 pandemic is affecting them with the launch of a global survey. The questions include:

How is your company affected by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic?

How can government and business support institutions support you?

Let us know! The survey takes less than 10 minutes and is available in several languages.

Take the survey now!

ITC launches COVID-19 dashboard and offers free access to Market Analysis Tools

Dashboard to track COVID-19 trade measures and free access to ITC trade data to help MSMEs, policymakers improve decision-making during coronavirus emergency.

by ITC News

The International Trade Centre has launched a new dashboard to monitor temporary trade measures adopted by governments responding to the global COVID-19 pandemic. At the same time, ITC has announced that it would offer free access to its trade statistics and company data to support companies during the crisis. Both initiatives will help micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) and policymakers make well-informed decisions during the coronavirus emergency.

Dorothy Tembo, ITC acting Executive Director, said: ‘The new ITC dashboard and the free access to our trade statistics and company data represents one of ITC’s immediate contributions to transparency of trade data and intelligence during this unprecedented period. This initiative will provide information necessary to support the continued flow of vital medical supplies and equipment, critical agricultural and food products, and other essential goods and services across borders, for those most in need’.

Access ITC’s COVID-19 Dashboard

To date, more than 50 countries have relaxed import measures such as customs duties on imported medical supplies. At the same time, however, more than 80 countries have adopted export bans or restrictions in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Goods covered include medical supplies – such as facemasks, medical ventilators, and medications based on hydroxychloroquine.

A significant concern for global development is that several major supplying economies are imposing emergency export restrictions on food commodities. This could negatively reverberate on global trade flows and hike commodity prices, provoking food shortages, especially in vulnerable regions of the world.

The COVID-19 dashboard is structured in three sections:

• a global map of all countries that have adopted export or import measures related to the pandemic
• a live tracker of measures adopted in the last 24 hours, updated at 18:00 (GMT+1) daily
• a detailed table documenting all countries and the corresponding measures, with the original government decrees provided in the national language

The emergency measures apply on top of standard market access measures, such as customs tariffs, trade remedies, and non-tariff requirements, which are already accessible through Market Access Map databases at www.macmap.org .

Free access to ITC Market Analysis Tools

In a show of solidarity with MSMEs, ITC will also provide free access for companies and entrepreneurs to its Market Analysis Tools during the COVID-19 pandemic, initially until 31 July 2020. This move will enable small businesses to access the most up-to-date trade statistics and company contact information so that they can identify potential trade partners. This information is essential for companies to deal with the current situation and plan for a post-crisis environment.

Available data include monthly trade statistics (which are now as recent as February 2020) and company contact information for more than one million companies from 180 countries around the world in ITC’s Trade Map and data foreign affiliates in Investment Map.

All current users of the Market Analysis Tools will automatically receive this free access privileges. New users must first register at marketanalysis.intracen.org to take advantage of this offer.

Visit ITC’s COVID-19 Dashboard: macmap.org/en/covid19
Visit ITC’s Market Analysis Tools: marketanalysis.intracen.org

Notes for the Editor

About ITC Market Analysis Tools – ITC Market Analysis Tools is a part of the ITC Transparency in Trade programme in making global trade more transparent and facilitating access to new markets by micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs). In addition, ITC Market Analysis Tools contributes to the Prosperity for all through Sustainable Development Goal 8 and 17. Access is free for all users thanks to continued support from the European Union (EU) and funders to the ITC Trust Fund.

About ITC – The International Trade Centre is the joint agency of the World Trade Organization and the United Nations. ITC assists small and medium-sized enterprises in developing and transition economies to become more competitive in global markets, thereby contributing to sustainable economic development within the frameworks of the Aid-for-Trade agenda and the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals.
For more information, visit www.intracen.org.

Workshops on ISO standard

Three special one-day awareness raising workshops on ISO 14001:2015 Environmental Management System (EMS) were conducted in Bokhtar (07 March), Dushanbe (14 March) and Khujand (11 April) by the ITC partner, the local consultancy company Kamolot 1 Group.

The workshops aimed to introduce the local textile and clothing entrepreneurs to environmental management systems according to the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) standard 14001 requirements. The ISO 14000 family of standards provides companies and organizations with practical tools to manage their environmental responsibilities. Implementation of this standard assures control and improvement of environmental performance of companies and organizations.

The ISO 14001:2015 specifies the requirements for an environmental management system that an organization can use to enhance its environmental performance. It is applicable to all companies, regardless of the type and size of the business, including small and medium-sized enterprises.

Ҳамкори МТБ, гурӯҳи консалтингии “Камолот 1” дар шаҳрҳои Бохтар (7-уми март), Душанбе (14-уми март) ва Хуҷанд (11-уми апрел) се семинари якрӯза доир ба меъёри ISO 14001:2015 – Низоми мудирияти муҳити зист баргузор намуд.

Ҳадаф аз баргузории ин давраҳои омӯзишӣ шинос кардани корхонаҳои нассоҷӣ ва дӯзандагии кишвар бо низомҳои мудирияти муҳитзистӣ мувофиқи талаботи меъёри 14001-и Созмони байналмилалии стандартикунонӣ (ISO) буд. Бастаи меъёрҳои ISO 14000 василаҳои амалиеро дар ихтиёри корхонаҳову созмонҳо мегузорад, ки тавонанд масъулиятшонро дар мавриди ҳимояи муҳити зист тарҳрезӣ ва иҷро бикунанд. Роҳандозии низоми мазкур назорат ва беҳтар шудани нишондодҳои муҳитзистии ширкатҳову созмонҳоро замонат медиҳад.

Низоми мудирияти муҳити зисти ISO 14001 умумӣ буда, ба ҳамаи ширкатҳо, сарфи назар аз бузургиву навъ ва ба ҳама намуди молу хидматрасониҳо дахл дорад. Ин меъёр талабот дар таҳия ва иҷрои сиёсат ва ҳадафҳои мудирияти муҳитзистиро бо назардошти самтҳои бартар ва санадҳои қонунгузорие, ки созмонҳову корхонаҳо бояд ба инобат бигиранд, муайян мекунад.

Однодневные семинары по повышению осведомленности о системе экологического менеджмента ISO 14001:2015 были проведены в Бохтаре (7 марта), Душанбе (14 марта) и Худжанде (11 апреля) партнером МТЦ – консалтинговой компанией Kaмолот 1.

Цель семинаров заключалась в ознакомлении местных предприятий текстильной и швейной отрасли с системами экологического менеджмента в соответствии с требованиями стандарта 14001 Международной организации по стандартизации (ISO). Семейство стандартов ISO 14000 предоставляет компаниям и организациям практические инструменты для управления своими экологическими обязанностями. Внедрение этого стандарта обеспечивает контроль и улучшение экологических показателей компаний и организаций.

Стандарт ISO 14001:2015 определяет требования к системе экологического менеджмента, которые организация может использовать для улучшения своих экологических показателей, и применим ко всем компаниям, независимо от типа и размера бизнеса, включая малые и средние предприятия.