April 9, 2003	Wednesday	Safar 6, 1424

LAHORE, April 8: The quota price (per piece) in category-6 (bottomwear) has gone up to Rs85 from Rs60 since January 2003 due to uncertainty prevailing in the market about the availability of special flexibility quota and overprogramming to the exporters.

The exporters told Dawn here on Monday that they had been informed by the Export Promotion Bureau (EPB) at the start of the year that 7.82 per cent special flexibility quota and 15 per cent overprogramming would be deducted from their entitlement for 2003 on the basis of final calculations of quota utilized (by them) in 2002.

“However, the EPB has so far not made a final decision on this issue nor has it released quota to the exporters, which has pushed the price in the open market. The exporters have begun purchasing quota from the open market to meet their orders. They’d no option but to purchase quota on a high premium to meet their orders. The uncertainty on availability/unavailability of special flexibility quota to the exporters won’t end unless the EPB takes a decision,” says an official of the Pakistan Readymade Garments Manufacturers and Exporters Association (PRGMEA).

The unavailability of special flexibility quota is expected to further push up the quota price in category-6.