The country would suffer a loss of 11.25 million dollars in foreign exchange due to the mismanagement in quota handling by the Export Promotion Bureau (EPB). In addition to this, the exporters would lose Rs 15 million for not being able to make shipments of about 175,000 dozens of quota in Category 347/348 (men and ladies trousers) for the US as a result of the anticipated embargo from the US customs.
The Chairman of Pakistan Readymade Garments Manufactures and Exporters Association (Prgmea) Sindh-Balochistan Zone, Dawood Usman Jhakura stated this, after an emergency meeting held to discuss the situation.
Giving details of the problem, he said that according to the US customs clearance figures, 94 percent of the said category had been utilised by the Pakistani exporters and the balance of six percent remained to be cleared. Meanwhile, the EPB said it had issued export licence for shipments against 93 percent of the quota ceiling by November 8.
Elaborating on the loss of quota and the resultant foreign exchange income, he said under the present scenario, the US customs would allow only 120,000 dozens of trousers whereas 175,000 dozens of quota is available in the exporters passbooks in addition to 70,000 dozens of goods destined for USA was already in the pipeline.
The Prgmea chief questioned the EPB management of the EPB, which failed to reconcile the quota figures with the US customs well in advance to save the country and the exporters from disaster.
He said that according to reports, an adjustment in quota ceiling of 91,000 dozens in the said category was received from the US, but no efforts were made to make adjustment in the national quota ceiling.
Dawood suggested that now there was only one way to save the colossal loss to the country provided the EPB undertook to pay air freight for the remaining quota shipments, which could be made in the first week of January.
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