July 13, 2002	Saturday	Jamadi-ul-Awwal 2, 1423

KARACHI, July 12: Export of leather garments declined by 17.25 per cent during last fiscal (2001-02) as compared to 2000-01.

In a statement issued on Friday the chairman, Pakistan Leather Garments Manufacturers & Exporters Association (PLGMEA), Fawad Ijaz Khan, said the export of leather garments during 2001-02 was $311 million against $376 million of 2000-01.

During the month of June 2002, the export of leather garments declined by over 47 per cent to $21.7 million as compared to $41.01 million of June 2001.

He said that in order to arrest the decline in exports, it was important that the government should immediately impose 20 per cent export duty on semi-finished and finished leather.

Due to uncertain situation in the country, the buyers of leather garments are not visiting Pakistan and are not placing orders, he added.

Fawad said that at the moment good and medium quality finished leathers are exported, resultantly leather garments producers are not getting the same to manufacture good quality leather garments.

Tanners are getting protection on their raw material by 20 per cent export duty on the export of raw hides and skins and wet blue leather, which has resulted in export of large quantity of leather during last three years.