ISLAMABAD, June 22: All Pakistan Textile Mills Association (Aptma) has sent a list of 200 raw materials to the Central Board of Revenue (CBR) for reduction of import duty on them.

An official in the CBR told Dawn on Wednesday that in the budget proposals for 2005-06, the association had submitted a list of 43 items mostly raw materials for zero rating of customs duty, which was dropped because most of these raw materials were manufactured locally.

The official said that this list had now been enhanced to over 200 items, which was again sent to the Engineering Development Board (EDB) and Ministry Of Industries for seeking their opinion on it.

The government in the budget 2005-06 had zero rated the whole chain of textile from sales tax and customs duty with a purpose that export of textile products would register growth in the years ahead. Duty on those items were not reduced which were manufactured locally to provide them protection, added the official.