KARACHI, Jan 23: The ministry of commerce has allowed garment units at the Karachi Export Processing Zone (KEPZ) to avail a research and development (R&D) support under SRO 437(1)/2005.

The tariff area garment exporters were allowed the facility of R&D support at six per cent of fob value of export on May 2005, which was not extended to the units at the zone. However, the ministry through an order issued on January 19, 2006 allowed the same to the KEPZ garment units.

Garment is the dominant sector at the KEPZ. The products of the KEPZ garment units are doing exceptionally well whose products can be seen in world chain stores, departmental stores of the UK, Canada and European markets, such as Walmart, Tesco, Zara, BHS, etc. Around 80 per cent of labour in the zone is of female workers, says a press release.