October 19, 2002	Saturday	Sha'aban 12, 1423

KARACHI, Oct 18: Pakistan Bedwear Exporters Association (PBEA) chairman Aziz L. Jamal has urged the State Bank of Pakistan to allow relief in re-finance on bedwear exports, which are presently faced with embargo in the US markets.

In a letter addressed to the governor, State Bank, Dr Ishrat Hussain the PBEA chief said that a recent relief to the exporters of hosiery, rice and hand knotted carpets was a welcome development.

However, Aziz Jamal said the exporters of household textiles including bedlinen, kitchen linen, terry towels, etc., have also felt the impact of 9/11 and more recently the impact of embargo on bedlinen categories to the US.

The US customs have held up consignments worth millions of dollars at the ports and will not be cleared by the authorities before January 1, 2003, he added.

Consequently, he said exporters are not in a position to meet their obligations against the rupee or foreign currency refinances availed by them and also they will have to pay the storage costs, claims and cancellations due to late deliveries and missing of sales during Christmas and new year.

Aziz Jamal requested the governor of State Bank to allow relief to bedwear exporters as has been in the case of exporters of hosiery, rice and hand knotted carpets for the year 2002-2003.