September 28, 2002	Saturday	Rajab 20, 1423

KARACHI, Sept 27: The Pakistan Readymade Garments Manufacturers and Exporters Association (PRGMEA) has urged Finance Minister Shaukat Aziz to arrange payment of duty drawback to exporters through banks.

PRGMEA central chairman Masood Naqi in a fax message reminded the finance minister of his announcement in the budget speech that duty drawback would be paid to exporters through bank branches from where the “E” form was obtained.

The Export Promotion Bureau had drafted procedure for the new mode of payment and sent it to the CBR which has not yet issued SRO to notify the procedure.

Masood Naqi said that exporters were facing serious problem due to delay in payment of duty drawback. The payment is being made to only ‘Gold Card’ holders, but payment to ordinary claims has virtually stopped.

It is a known fact, he said, that payment of duty drawback started in the first week of every month and stopped on 20th due to exhaustion of funds. It shows that cheques are issued 15 days a month, resulting in huge backlog which is never cleared.