KARACHI: Value-added textile exporters voiced unhappiness with the Federal Budget 2021-22 for failing to provide adequate assistance. According to them, the adoption of a 17 percent GST has rendered SMEs financially unviable owing to stalled cashflow. Jawed Bilwani, Chairman of Pakistan Apparel Forum, and Tariq Munir and Faisal Mehboob, South and North Zone Chairmen of Pakistan Hosiery Manufacturers & Exporters Association (PHMA).

The value-added textile sector had also submitted a request to the government to reduce and fix tariff for electricity, indigenous gas and RLNG which was not addressed. They pointed out that though the government has allocated Rs20 billion for DLTL scheme, cases amounting to Rs32 billion were pending with the State Bank of Pakistan. They lamented that no grants have been allocated for release of old refund claims of exporters, which amounted to billions of rupees.