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Fibre2Fashion
Published
Oct 30, 2018
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APTMA Sindh-Balochistan unit rues textile sector problems

By
Fibre2Fashion
Published
Oct 30, 2018

The Sindh-Balochistan Region unit of the All Pakistan Textile Mills Association (APTMA) has urged the government to address textile sector problems, including removal of duties from import of cotton and polyester staple fibre, removal of the gas infrastructure development cess (GIDC), low productivity of labour and shortage of water available for industries in Karachi.



Chairman of the APTMA unit Zahid Mazhar also requested the government to immediately pay overdue refunds of sales tax and income tax and export drawback of local taxes and levy (DLTL).

These issues are hurting the viability of the industry by increasing the cost of business that cannot be passed on to international buyers, Pakistani media reports quoted Mazhar as saying.

Due to shortage of cotton, the spinning industry has to annually import almost 3.5 million bales of raw cotton. Despite this, there is 3 per cent customs duty, 2 per cent additional customs duty and 5 per cent sales tax imposed on the import of raw cotton, Mazhar lamented.

Special attention should be paid for a free trade agreement with China as it is providing zero customs duty facility on import of textiles from many south-east Asian countries, while imposing 3.5 per cent duty on textiles from Pakistan, he added.

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