Apparel exporters to get reimbursement for state levies next week onwards

The Textiles Ministry securing Rs 500 crore from the Finance Ministry will now start reimbursing Apparel and garment exporters for the state levies paid by them, a top official said. The reimbursement will start from next week onwards

In June last year, the government had approved a Rs 6,000 crore special package for textiles and apparel sector to create one crore new jobs in 3 years, attracting investments of $11 billion and generating $30 billion in exports.

The measures approved included additional incentives for duty drawback scheme for garments, flexibility in labour laws to increase productivity as well as tax and production incentives for job creation in garment manufacturing.

Most of the things which were a part of the package have been implemented and the textile ministry have also got Rs 500 crore from Ministry of Finance for the ROSL (Rebate of State Levies) scheme, that is the reimbursement of state levies.

Many of the exporters have already given their claims to the Customs department. Very soon these reimbursements will start, in fact from next week, you will start getting your money,Textiles Secretary Rashmi Verma said.

Addressing the inauguration ceremony of the India International Garment Fair (IIGF), she urged the garment manufacturers to augment their capacities for boosting job creation and leverage the space ceded by China so that India emerges as a key player in the international market and a major sourcing hub for global brands.

She pointed out that the special package goes a long way in developing and having a level playing field for their exporters in key markets like the US and the EU, as they were earlier working with the handicap of 9.5 percent duty which was being levied on their products because India does not have an FTA with EU countries.

The Textile Ministry hope that Indian garment manufacturers will use this package to augment their capacity to set up new units so that more investment comes and more jobs are generated and India emerges as a key player in the international market.