Garment makers seek Rs60bln allocations in upcoming budget

LAHORE: Garments manufacturers on Monday urged the government to allocate Rs60 billion for the export-oriented industry in the upcoming budget 2017-18 under the PM’s Rs180 billion package, besides releasing all stuck-up claims of the exporters.

In a statement, Pakistan Readymade Garments Manufacturers and Exporters Association (PRGMEA) chairman Ijaz Khokhar, appreciated the Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif for announcing the Rs180 billion export-led growth initiatives. He said this bold decision had started showing results, as the exports of value-added textile industry were on an upward trend despite decline in exports of all other sectors.

The PRGMEA has also urged the government to release all stuck up funds, including DLTL, Customs Rebates and Sales Tax rebate. The PM’s revival package has started boosting the country’s exports, and if it was implemented in its true spirit, the issue of liquidity crunch would be resolved, the statement added.

Ijaz Khokhar asked the PM to appoint a full time minister for the textile industry as early as possible, for a proactive role.

"The government must discourage exports of raw material to facilitate the value-added textile and apparel sector, which ranks as the largest employment generator in the country,” he said. He also urged for emphasising on job creation and value-added segments like apparel exports. “At the same time, raw material exports must be dis-incentivised as they take jobs away from our country and create them in competing countries where they export raw material," he added. PRGMEA vice chairman Jawwad Ch said the value-added textile export sector was the backbone of the economy with great potential for earning foreign exchange. It was the least energy and capital-intensive industrial activity, and was thus well suited for Pakistan's resource endowment to generate economic growth and employment, the statement said. The value-added textile sector was the major tax payer, largest employment generator in the whole textile chain, and was exporting up to $5 billion textile products.

Jawwad Ch said the high cost of doing business, energy shortages, myriad of taxes on exports, rising exchange rate, raw material shortages, and the divide between policy and its implementation have eroded the economic viability of the business. “We will continue to lose export share in the global market, and the textile sector may face closure in the absence of consistency in policies and proper policy implementation,” he added.