Customs member Muhammad Zahid Khokhar on Friday signalled that the country is ready to do 'anything' to grow exports to scale up its foreign exchange accumulations, saying that the government's primary focus is to augment local export-oriented industries. Replying to scores of concerns showed the value-added textile manufacturers-cum-exporters at the PHMA House, he said the government intends to reduce the financial burden from expatriates since their contributions to the foreign exchange reserves are already invaluable. He termed the exports growth 'crucial' particularly under the circumstances.
He said the value-added export sectors are the 'most' valuable for the country's economy, saying that the Customs has stepped up to simplify the DTRE through computerization process. He said the new computerised system will help to solve all existing issues faced by exporters with automatically without delays. However, new items to the list will be added once they are pointed out to the Customs, he added.
With the system upgrade, Zahid Khokhar said the exporters will receive their rebate immediately without going through the lengthy procedures, saying that the Customs will then carry out a post-paid audit of those traders availed the facility. There should be some brave decisions to let the exports take its course into a new growth, which the government is taking to underpin the national economy.
Such facilitating steps, he said, will immediately affect the revenue collection targets for the FBR but are badly required to increase the exporters' financial holdings with a needed confidence from the government. He said the FBR will issue refunds without delays to the exporters, which is hoped to help increase revenue even for the tax collector. He assured that the government will give a 'special treatment' to exporters, what they deserve.
Earlier, PHMA central chairman Muhammad Javed Bilwani and other members of the association raised scores of different issues, which exporters are facing at the export stage with the Customs. Bilwani requested to the Customs to provide a separate inspection yard for export consignments completely isolated from the area where imports are examined. He said that the government should step up a plan to help set up the stitching units for textile export that will reduce the country economic troubles.
He said the government should also permit import of polyester, cotton and yarn under the DTRE, which will help establish new export-oriented stitching and knitting units with reducing the manufacturing cost for such industries. This move is hoped to help rejuvenate the spinning sector as well, he said, adding that the government's policy to introduce a different power and gas tariff regime for export oriented sectors is 'laudable' that will also help improving local industry to stand up firm and increase exports.