Forum submits proposals to govt

KARACHI: Pakistan Apparel Forum has proposed the government to simplify the export facilitation schemes instead of rationalising tariffs on the raw materials and intermediate goods, a statement said on Wednesday.

In response to the Ministry of Commerce’s invitation of proposals for enhancing export competitiveness, the forum proposed to simplify Duty & Tax Remission for Exporters (DTRE), Export Oriented Units (EOU), manufacturing bond, temporary importation and duty drawback for textile exporters, it added.

“Export facilitation schemes are government’s temporary importation schemes, which allow exporters to import duty-free goods only if they re-export them. The rules of export facilitation schemes are quite complicated and have cumbersome procedures and take months to import raw materials and intermediate goods,” Jawed Bilwani of Pakistan Apparel Forum said.

Bilwani recommended that licensees (textile exporters) from the Ministry of Textile should be allowed to import raw materials and intermediate goods for manufacturing of finished goods meant for export under the export facilitation schemes.