SOUTH AFRICA: Duty Proposals Worry Textiles Chief

Plans to model Southern Africa's textile and clothing industry on that of Mauritius would lead to the death of the SA textile industry said Textile Federation president Walter Simeoni. He was responding to proposals contained in a report by the Southern African Development Community (SADC), which call for the removal of all internal textiles duties in the region. But, said Simeoni, because Mauritius has a flourishing garment industry but lacks raw materials, the Mauritian model involves zero duty on machinery, cotton and yarn and high duty on garments. In contrast, SADC countries such as SA, Zimbabwe and Malawi, have established textile industries.