Garment manufacturers and exporters in Pakistan have urged the Government to end the duty and tax remission for export (DTRE), in the upcoming new Trade Policy, Daily Times reported.
In a plea to the Federal Minister of Commerce Amin Faheem, Pakistan Ready-made Garments Manufacturers and Exporters Association (PRGMEA) Chairman Sajid Saleem Minhas said the next Trade Policy should focus on boosting apparel exports by addressing the key issues faced by the exporters.
The weaving industry of Pakistan is not efficient enough to satisfy the domestic apparel industry’s demand for fashion fabrics. Due to this, garment manufacturers are forced to import fabrics for making garments meant for export, Mr. Minhas said.
He suggested that apparel enterprises should be allowed to import fabric under the SRO 492 scheme.
He said the country’s garment industry mainly comprises of small and medium scale units, which are better off in producing high-end fashion products, as the order sizes remain small. However, due to the current import policies they fail to utilize their full potential.
In contrast, apparel producers in Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, the two main competitors of Pakistan in the clothing sector, face almost no restriction or problems in importing fabric for making garments meant for export, Mr. Minhas said.
