Garment retailers, manufacturers plan another shutdown

Garment retailers and manufacturers are planning to again shut down manufacturing next week over the issue of excise duty on branded garments.

Over 1 lakh manufacturing units are expected to come to a halt across the country on Monday and Tuesday, resulting in a possible loss of Rs 500 crore.

This is the third time that apparel retailers are resorting to this sort of action, since the Finance Minister's Budget announcement on February 28 making excise duty on branded garments mandatory. While manufacturing was shut down last Friday, Monday saw over 1 lakh apparel shops downing their shutters as a mark of protest against the excise duty.

“While the Government has given a positive reaction to our request and understand that garment retailers have issues and problems, this as a reminder to the Government of our request for a rollback of the 10 per cent excise duty on branded garments. We have to wait and see what happens on the floor of the Parliament,” said Mr Rahul Mehta, President, Clothing Manufacturers' Association of India.

Retailers and members of various apparel associations have in the last few days met with the Finance Minister, the Textile Minister, the Revenue Secretary and the Central Excise Board, besides a battery of Cabinet ministers and political leaders.