05 December 2004	Sunday	22 Shawwal 1425

KARACHI, Dec 4: The Export Promotion Bureau has clarified that allegations levelled by Anis Marfani, Chairman of the All Pakistan Knitwear Sweaters Exporters Association (Paksea) , in a press conference the other day are not based on facts.

The EBP stated that in terms of SRO5(I)/2001 dated January 3, 2001, the allocation of performance entitlement and authentication of category passbooks of exporters is the responsibility of authorized textile associations.

In the clarification, the EPB further pointed out that the statement says that as per para-3(3) of the said SRO, the exporters, for the purpose of audit of performance and determination of their entitlement, shall submit to the auditors, through their associations, photocopy of passbooks along with forms A and B, duly attested by the authorized representative of the textile association, by the 28th of February each year.

Mr Marfani in the press conference alleged that the EPB had mismanaged textile quota and crated a quota mess costing $50 million to the exporters.

The EPB further says that textile associations have a prime role in the management of textile quotas. The chairman Paksea cannot, therefore, wriggle out of his mandatory responsibility of textile quota management and shift the entire burden of its alleged mismanagement on the EPB.