Coimbatore : Tirupur Exporters’ Association (TEA) today expressed disappointment over the reduction of duty drawback in the garment sector.

“When the raw material cotton and subsequent processed item cotton yarn drawback rates were enhanced how could the value-added garment sector, an employment generator, have been neglected and the rate revised downwards,” TEA president Raja M Shanmugham said in a statement.

The all-industry rate of duty drawback for garment sector was announced on Thursday and in the revised drawback rates list, the rates were reduced from 2 per cent to 1.8 for some garments and 1.9 per cent for some others.

The new revised list had totally disappointed the Tirupur knitwear garment sector when it was expecting hike in rates, he pointed out.

Representations had been made to the Prime Minister and the Union Textiles Minister requesting them to look into the issue, he added.