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The Nation (Nairobi)
NEWS
May 8, 2002

Textile Firm to Be Set Up in EPZ


A new textile manufacturer in the Export Processing Zone is to export 3.5 million pieces a year to the US once its starts operating.

Alltex EPZ will export the garments under the US African Growth and Opportunity Act 2000 (Agoa) that allows duty-free exports from sub-Saharan African countries.

The agreement gives the countries a competitive advantage over garment manufacturers from other parts of the world.

The company, which will employ 1,200 people, most of them women, has contracted an international company to train the staff to make products that meet international standards.

Alltex's foundation stone was laid by Prince Rahim Aga Khan, a director of the Aga Khan Fund for Economic Development (AKFED) recently and will start operations in July.

The firm is a joint-venture between AKFED affiliate, Industrial Promotion Services (Kenya) (IPS) and Global Readymade Garments Industry LLC of Qatar.

The IPS Project manager, Mr Francis Marekia, said the workers would be recruited as soon as the factory construction was completed.

The IPS, which has been promoting private sector entrepreneurship in Kenya for nearly 40 years, operates and invests in the agro-processing, printing and packaging, plastics, wire products and power generation sectors.

AKFED is a private international development agency active in industry, infrastructure, tourism and financial sectors across sub-Saharan Africa and in Central and South Asia.

Global Readymade Garments Industry is a leading manufacturer and exporter of high quality garments with 11 production units spread over Asia and the Middle East.

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