The Apparel Export Promotion Council (AEPC), the apex body of apparel exports in India, has urged the government to keep the momentum of growth rolling as it is important that the manufacturing sector starts picking up fast.

The council’s list of demands include duty credit scrip at the rate of 5 per cent, increasing the support under MAI, implementing the gold card scheme, separate chapter for getting export credit for the banking sector at a fixed rate of 7.4 per cent, changes in service tax, income tax and labor laws and easy availability of credit and an assured supply of specialty fiber for domestic use. 

In the meantime the government’s sustained help to the export sector through positive policy measures and supportive intervention from time to time have yielded positive results. Exports have registered a double digit growth. And the trade deficit which stood at $10.9 billion for the month of August 2013 has reduced. This is expected to help ease out the current account deficit.

Exports during August 2013 were valued at $26.13 billion, which was 12.97 per cent higher than the level of $23.13 billion during August 2012.