AEPC has urged the government to pay wages of workers engaged in the apparel exporting industry for the months of April and May to bail out the sector amid the coronavirus crisis. The council also informed Prime Minister Narendra Modi that the industry has cleared all wages for March dutifully. According to the council, the government can pay wages from the funds available in the Atal Bimit Vyakti Kalyan Yojana (ABVKY) Scheme, which has reportedly huge reserves of about Rs 91,000 crore, as contributed by employees and employers.

The council stated that the apparel exporting industry, a major employer, has been very badly impacted due to COVID-19 as principal export markets of the US and Europe are under lockdown since the past several weeks. The sector urgently needs a big stimulus package from the government, he said.

Apparel products exported to the fashion retailers of the world have a shelf life of two-four weeks only and thereafter they sell at deep discounts, as per the industry body.