KARACHI, June 6: Pakistan Leather Garments Manufacturers & Exporters Association (PLGMEA) chairman Fawad Ijaz Khan has criticised the decision of CBR to withdraw the validity of SRO 410(I)01, effective from May 31, 2002.

In a press statement he said that the decision was taken despite the appeal of exporters of value-added products to permanently revalidate the SRO.

Mr Fawad said that high quality accessories required to maintain the quality of value-added garments were mostly imported and not manufactured in Pakistan and added the value-added exports depend on the imported raw materials to meet the high quality standards set by foreign buyers. The SRO 410(I)/01 had been introduced as a ‘scheme for temporary importation’ enabling the exporters to produce value-added garments.

He said exporters were now finding it difficult to maintain their price competitiveness because of spiralling cost of inputs. Fawad urged the CBR to review its decision and permanently revalidate the SRO 410(I)/01.