Ludhiana apparel makers share woes with Textiles Secretary

31 Jul '12

1 min read

Representatives of various textile and apparel organizations belonging to the textile hub of Ludhiana met Union Textiles Secretary Ms. Kiran Dhingra and apprised her of their problems.

The members suggested that at least 50 percent of the sum allotted for the Technology Upgradation Fund Scheme (TUFS) should be set aside for the small and medium enterprises (SMEs). They said the spinning mills are presently taking the maximum benefit of TUFS.

The Knitwear Club said the benefit of TUFS is currently available to 10-year-old reconditioned powerloom and processing machines and a similar benefit must be extended to kitting machines too. It would help the SMEs in the knitwear sector to address the problem of labour shortage to a certain extent.

The textile and apparel industry associations demanded that the Ludhiana knitwear industry be exempted from the excise duty.

They also said that the 18.9 percent customs duty on textile machinery makes the machines costlier compared to their Bangladeshi counterparts, as the Bangladeshi Government does not levy any such duty, and sought a level-playing field with Bangladeshi apparel makers.

The Ludhiana textile and apparel sector representatives urged the Secretary to intervene in getting the bank interest rates lowered, especially for the micro, small and medium enterprises.

Fibre2fashion News Desk - India

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