LAHORE: The government will start payment of refund claims to textile exporters from February, said Minister of State for Finance and Economic Affairs Rana Muhammad Afzal Khan on Monday.
Addressing an emergent meeting of the Pakistan Hosiery Manufacturing and Exporters Association (PHMA) North Zone, he said the government was already making efforts to cut down the prices of electricity and gas, particularly for the textile sector.
Difference between imports and exports during the month of September last year was 51 percent but was narrowed down to 35 percent in October and further reduced to 11 percent in November. “The government is making efforts to further improve this situation by encouraging exports,” he said.
He added, “Our top priority is to give maximum relief to the value added textile sector in order to bridge the gap between textile imports and exports in addition to creating more job opportunities for the youth.”
Earlier, in his address Chairman PHMA Mian Naeem Ahmed Chaudhary congratulated Rana Afzal Khan on taking the portfolio of most important ministry of Finance and Economic Affairs.
He also thanked Rana Afzal for pleading the cause of value added textile sector and amended that concessional electricity tariff should be made applicable to B2, B3 and B4 connections.
