Export-oriented industries: PHMA chief seeks PM's intervention

Pakistan Hosiery Manufacturers & Exporters Association's Central Chairman Chaudhry Salamat Ali has demanded immediate intervention of the Prime Minister of Pakistan Imran Khan to rescue the export-oriented industries which have reached on the brink of closure in the wake of global corona pandemic that, besides endangering human lives, had put a lethal blow on the exports of Pakistan as International Textile Buyers from US, EU & other countries have cancelled 90 percent orders and have also refused to collect the shipments which have reached to export destinations during this time.
Exporters are highly perturbed amid severest ever liquidity crises in the history of Pakistan as their precious liquidity in shape of Sales Tax Refunds, Customs Rebates, Income Tax Refunds, payments of DLTL & DDT are stuck up with the Government. Several Small & Medium Exporters have approached from all over Pakistan stating that they have run out of cash to pay wages to workers, make payment of utilities and operate industries.
Salamat Ali added that such alarming situation is leading toward a fiasco and chaos resulting to bankruptcy, closure of industries and massive layoffs. The critical situation demands immediate relief and rescue by the Government with instant relief measure like immediate payments of sales tax refund claims payments of Customs Rebate, DDT and DLTL, waiver of mark-up in export refinancing and relaxation in payments thereof, deferment payment of utility bills and waiver of surcharges for at least next three months, bring interest rates to single digit, waiver of payments of EOBI and Social Security and other taxes and levies. The export industries also don't want to lay-off workers as it will create havoc, hence, exporters also demand the Government to pay the wages/ salaries of industrial workforce till situation normalize.
PHMA Central Chairman articulated that it is the responsibility of the Government to save the export industry and downfall of export as the Exporters have been facing host of problems including the chronic issue of the liquidity crisis that has aggravated manifold mainly because of, reportedly, cancellation of 90 percent of Export orders, delayed payments of export proceeds and halt of shipments to Europe, USA and other main economies by the buyers and sense of uncertainty and fear of cancellation of export order persistently prevails while collection of export shipments reached to destinations is also refused as such demands serious and immediate attention of the Government for sake of survival of the value added textile export sector and announce economic relief measures to protect the export industries.