Winter season: Textile sector lauds govt’s approach to gas supply to export-oriented sector

KARACHI: The value-added textile export sector profoundly appreciates the government thoughtfulness to ensure uninterrupted supply to the export industries during winter season.

The textile exporters are fully aware about the gas shortage during winter season and admire the government and Ministry of Energy (Petroleum Division) for their initiative to support the export industry. Referring the meeting of

Federal Minister Energy Barrister Hammad Azhar held recently and in view of hike in POL prices globally, the textile exporters across Pakistan are willing to pay for next three months $9 per MMBTU for RLNG for Captive Power Plants and $6.5 per MMBTU for their boilers provided the Ministry ensures uninterrupted gas supply with required pressure.

This was stated by Muhammad Jawed Bilwani Chairman Pakistan Apparel Forum.

Jawed Bilwani stated that it is the demand value added textile industry from all over Pakistan to supply gas uninterrupted and they supported the government to provide RLNG for next three months at $9 per MMBTU for RLNG for Captive Power Plants and $6.5 per MMBTU for boilers and ensured uninterrupted gas supply with required pressure, however, the textile exporters of Karachi have a problem that export-oriented industries of Karachi have never given RLNG gas on the concessional tariff of either $6.5 per MMBTU all inclusive or $9 per MMBTU all inclusive despite of the daylight fact that the export industries of Karachi generates 54 percent of total exports. The textile exporters are highly annoyed and disturbed due to this sheer discrimination and dubious conduct on the part of the government as they have never been given on the concessional tariffs as compared to other parts of the country. Several of our members’ exporters of Karachi have only RLNG connections (no indigenous gas

connections) and currently, SSGCL is charging RLNG @ $15.62 per MMBTU and even on this excessive tariff the required gas pressure is not available in the pipeline and there are also gas outages of approximately 12 hours on daily basis during day time. While in other areas of Pakistan RLNG gas is provided to export

industries at rate of $6.5 and for Karachi for 100 percent export industries having only RLNG connection is provided RLNG at rate of $15.62.

Bilwani articulated that the Federal Ministry of Commerce is working hard to execute all pragmatic steps and initiatives to support and facilitate the exporters in order to enhance the national exports.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2021