The import duties on new ready-made clothing for children will be drastically reduced by 17 percent.

It’s slash from the current 32 percent to 5 percent in the new financial year.

Minister for Economy Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum says this is to ensure that parents are able to afford children’s clothing at cheaper prices.

“We also found out that not many companies make range of products for children so roundabout up to the age of 12 or 13, we have reduced the duty from 32 percent to five percent because we have a young population, lot of young families, they have a lot of young children so we want them to be able to actually afford those things and get better quality clothes for your children and pay less money for it because we have reduced the duty.

He says overall there was a general approach that there should be high level duties on garments which are imported as there is a garment industry in the country.

Sayed –Khaiyum stresses they are also protecting the local manufactures.