LAHORE, Oct 17: Textile exporters are likely to urge the commerce minister in their meeting with him at Karachi on Thursday to expedite the release of their sales tax and duty drawback refund claims in view of the financial crunch faced by them because of the situation arising in the wake of the US terror attacks and the ongoing war in Afghanistan.

Minister Abdul Razzak Dawood is expected to brief the exporters about the EU decision to remove tariff on imports of value-added textile items from Pakistan and the 15 per cent increase in textile quota and the outcome of his talks with the US administration on the issue of removal of quotas and tariffs. He will also urge the exporters to take maximum advantage of the concessions allowed by the European countries and make efforts to enhance their exports.

Meanwhile, the exporters have welcome the EU decision, saying it will benefit exports from the country.

Speaking to Dawn here on Wednesday, Pakistan Readymade Garments Manufacturers and Exporters Association chairman Pervez Hanif appreciated the EU decision, saying it would help the Pakistani industry to enhance its value-added textile exports.

Its effects, he said, would start appearing from the next calender year. He said the government should now make efforts to restore the confidence of foreign buyers, scared away by the ongoing war in Afghanistan, in Pakistan so that they start placing fresh orders. “We will benefit from the concessions only if the buyers start giving new orders to the Pakistani exporters. The buyers are afraid that we would not be able to follow the delivery schedule due to the war. Besides, their consumers consider us harbourers of terrorism. These false perceptions need to be countered effectively,” he stressed.

Pakistan Hosiery Manufactu-rers and Exporters Association chairman Shehzad Azam also hailed the decision, saying it would go a long way in the enhancement of Pakistan’s exports.