AEPC welcomes extension of Gujarat’s textile policy

The Apparel Export Promotion Council (AEPC) has welcomed the announcement of Gujarat Government to extend its textile policy by one year. The policy, which was set to expire on September 4, 2017, will now remain in force till September 3, 2018. The five-year textile policy was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi when he was Chief Minister of the State.

As part of its consultations for the new textile policy for Gujarat, AEPC has asked for the availability of plug and play infrastructure for apparel manufacturing in the form of readymade sheds for apparel factories in select locations either on long-term lease or rental basis. The council has also asked for incentives in the form of infrastructure and project cost assistance for setting up mega Apparel Park in the state and exemption of stamp duty for the developer of park and enterprises on purchase of land.

“We welcome the announcement of Gujarat Government to extend its textile policy by a year. The textile policy of the state has been formulated with an objective to realise PM’s vision of Farm to Fibre to Fabric to Fashion to Foreign (5 ‘F’s).

“To help Gujarat in realisation of this objective, AEPC has already submitted a set of recommendations for implementation, to the State Government. We are hopeful that the Gujarat Government will consider the all-encompassing draft recommendations of the council and include the same in the form of an apparel policy to make Gujarat an attractive destination for investments in garments and textile sector,” said Ashok G Rajani, Chairman, AEPC.

In its recommendations, the council has also asked for interest subsidy to apparel units that have availed benefits under the TUF scheme with MSME units having the option to choose availing of the assistance of capital investment subsidy or assistance for interest subsidy as per the state scheme of assistance to MSMEs. On the issue of power tariff, the council has made a request for power tariff subsidy to those enterprises, which operate at an average 75 per cent capacity in the trailing 12 months. It has also asked Gujarat Government to provide assistance for construction of dormitories as per the industry requirements in selected locations.