KARACHI - The Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP) on Wednesday decided to decrease the fee of Certificate of Origin for acquiring GSP facility on exports to European Union from Rs1000 to Rs100. This decision was taken at a meeting held between Chief Executive Trade Development Authority of Pakistan Tariq Iqbal Puri and all stakeholders to discuss the issue of GSP Form rate. The rate of GSP Form will include the form price as well as attestation fee. Appreciating the TDAPs move with regard to fee issue, Chairman, Korangi Association of Trade and Industry, Syed Johar Ali Qandhari said it is good gesture as the TDAP has realized the situation and reversed the fee increase. There was a big hue and cry from exporters associations on the decision by the TDAP to increase GSP Certificate fee and termed it anti-export move, he said Meanwhile, Zonal Chairman Pakistan Readymade Garments Manufacturers & Exporters Association, Mohammad Jawed Chinoy hailed the step taken by the TDAP, saying it would be much appreciated by the exporters as well. We persistently took up this matter with the relevant authorities explaining to them that the industry cannot bear such a heavy increase in these difficult times, he added. Here, we also appreciate the role of TDAP in this matter and they were very cooperative in hearing our plight and took an immediate and timely decision to help the export industry especially for the small scale exporting units, he added. Earlier, Fawad Ijaz Khan Chairman Pakistan Leather Garments Manufacturers & Exporters Association (PLGMEA) in a statement issued Wednesday thanked the Chief Executive of Trade Development Authority of Pakistan Tariq Iqbal Puri for accepting the PLGMEA request to reduce the increment in GSP attestation fee from Rs1,000/- to Rs100/- per GSP. All Leather Garments shipments to Canada and European Union are through GSP and account for more than 70 per cent of total exports of leather garments. He also said leather garments shipments are mostly small and incremental cost of Rs1000/- per shipment was a significant cost and exporters were in no position to bear this extra burden given the current hike in fuel prices, export markup rates and electricity charges from 1st January 2011.