October 17, 2003	Friday	Sha'aban 20, 1424

LAHORE, Oct 16: The Ministry of Commerce may allow knitwear exporters further five per cent over-programming quota in Cat-338 (knitted shirts for the US) next month.

The ministry has recently allowed the knitwear exporters 10 per cent over-programming in the same category.

Former Pakistan Hosiery Manufacturers Association (PHMA) chairman and Quota Supervisory Council (QSC) member Shahzad Azam Khan told Dawn on Thursday that the ministry had also allowed the knitwear exporters flexibility quota in order to ensure its complete utilized. He expressed his gratitude to the commerce minister for taking personal interest in the release of the flexibility quota to the knitwear exporters.

Flexibility quota is allowed to the exporters up to 30 per cent of their performance-based quota. The release of flexibility quota has brought down its price in the market to well under Rs475 per dozen from the previous Rs575.