Chairman All Pakistan Textile Mills Association (Aptma) Ahsan Bashir has said that the textile industry is not being supplied with uninterrupted electricity supply despite lowest domestic demand at present. He said the industry is usually in dire need of electricity in this season to meet export orders from around the world. But the industry is facing with six hours a day load shedding at present.
According to him, the Ministry of Water & Power had assured the Aptma of complete exemption from load shedding after 10th Muharram, requesting to bear with the situation until 10th of Muharram. However, he added, the decision to this effect is yet pending on the part of the ministry. He has demanded the Ministry of Water & Power to restore uninterrupted electricity supply to the textile industry, as the energy security is prime concern of the industry.
Especially, said Chairman Aptma, in view of the shortage of gas supply to industry this winter, the textile industry is entirely dependent on uninterrupted electricity supply to operate and produce textile goods, mainly meant for exports. Currently, he said, the textile industry is being subjected to six hours a day electricity load shedding on independent feeders, constraining production capacities in the absence of both gas and electricity supply. In many cases, mills resort to closed down one shift, rendering workforce unemployed, he added.
Chairman Aptma said the management represented its case even before the highest office to seek uninterrupted electricity and gas supply to avail of the export opportunities under the EU trade concession and equip itself to prepare for GSP Plus from 2014 onwards by undertaking new investment through Balancing, Modernisation and Replacement (BMR).
He urged President, PM, Minister for Water & Power and Minister for Textile Industry to provide uninterrupted energy supply to the textile industry for achieving the potential of $25 billion exports, further investment, employment generation and enabling textile industry for lifting the current season cotton crop without delay.
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