Enhanced exports: the only solution—I

In the Prime Minister’s address to the nation this week, he lauded the export growth achieved over the past 2 years, particularly through textiles which are the country’s top export. It is important to highlight that this unprecedented growth is the result of concerted efforts and investments, which must be continued in light of the visible progress made by the economy through industrial development.

In further good news for the industry, the Prime Minister announced a five-year tax exemption for overseas investors to bolster investment in Pakistan. “No country can become great without a manufacturing base and industrial growth,” he said.

The details of the PM’s new industrial package are yet to be made public, but matters seem to be improving for industries, as the 2022 industrial policy’s overarching objective is to incentivize investment in industry, acknowledging the fact that industrial growth is critical for sustainable economic prosperity due to its role in generating jobs, achieving higher exports and meeting goals/targets. The Prime Minister also mentioned that this policy would divert money invested in plots into industrial growth.

While these are positive indicators for the future of the industrial sector, the growth of exports and industrial competitiveness is largely dependent on regionally competitive energy tariffs. With $21 billion textile exports expected in FY22 (a 36% increase), the industry has set a target of $26 billion for the following fiscal year.

The cost of RCET is equivalent to 2.5% of export value and exponential economic growth can be achieved once industry is provided with a stable and secure energy environment. At present, RCET is applicable till June ’22, while the industry requires a 5-year predictable supply and competitive tariffs across the entire value chain to sustain growth.

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                 TEXTILE EXPORTS
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                In Billion Dollars
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Month         FY21         FY22        % Change
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July          1.27         1.47             16%
August        1.01         1.46             45%
September     1.19         1.49             25%
October       1.29         1.60             24%
November      1.28         1.74             35%
December      1.40         1.62             16%
January       1.32         1.55             17%
February      1.23         1.69             37%
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Total         10.00        12.61            26%
===============================================

Policymakers in Pakistan must also remain cognizant of new and emerging textile exporting countries, such as Uzbekistan which has full market access to the Eastern bloc and has now been granted GSP+ status by the EU. With energy costs lower and cotton quality better than that of Pakistan, Uzbekistan is a promising new entrant, set to capture high market shares.

The export growth achieved so far in Pakistan has been in spite of a wide array of issues in energy. Power supply, reliability, quality, pricing and gas availability are at the core of Pakistan’s bid to accelerate economic development, yet concerns abound. Due to the intense competition among regional countries, even a minor cost difference in relative terms has an exponential impact on competitiveness in the international market. Our regional competitors are offering stable and consistent supply of electricity and gas/RLNG at much lower rates than Pakistan.

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REGIONALGAS TARIFFS
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Region          $/MMBtu
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Sindh              4.87
Punjab              9.0
India              4.06
Bangladesh         4.05
Uzbekistan          2.1
=======================
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REGIONAL ELECTRICITY TARIFFS
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Region                  Cents/kWh
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Pakistan                      9.0
Vietnam                       7.3
Bangladesh                    9.0
India Maharashtra             7.8
India Punjab                  7.1
China General                 9.8
China Xinjiang                6.1
Uzbekistan                    4.5
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Meanwhile, Pakistan’s balance of payments (BoP) crisis is spiraling out of control, with the country heading towards a historic $20 billion deficit mark. Without ensuring that exports are supported to reach their maximum potential, the economy is at risk of sinking deeper into the debt trap. For decades, we have sought loans to achieve economic stability, which come with countless conditions. We must not neglect the local business community – particularly the export-oriented industry - which surely has the potential to steer sustainable economic growth as long as it is provided with basic policy support, and in particular, competitively priced energy.

Issues of energy supply are another key impediment to the country’s progress. The gas/RLNG supply to export-oriented industries was inexplicably cut off on December 15, 2021, and then only 38 percent to companies signing affidavits under duress restored on December 29, 2021, resulting in a permanent loss of 30% of exports for the month of December and January whereas capacity was $ 2 billion.

The Ministry of Energy (MoE) had committed to restore full gas supply to captive power plants of the export sector with effect from 15th February 2022. With disregard to this commitment, MoE subsequently notified the industry that only 75 percent gas will be provided, only to the mills that have submitted an affidavit which will effectively suspend supply to units that do not comply with “unachievable” efficiency criteria — 70% of industry. Surprisingly, SNGPL still continues to supply gas to the non-export industry, which is a clear violation of the merit order which reduces the gas available for the export sector and violates established principles over the last several years.

The requirement of the affidavit goes against the legal rights of the mills, for which it is critical to ensure uninterrupted gas/RLNG supply. Mills who have not signed affidavit have been deprived of gas/RLNG supply as a result of this illogical policy distortion. For the sector to get back on track, it is essential to restore supply expeditiously and make amends. Meanwhile the industry is still waiting for MoE to arrange a consultation on the TORs for the NEECA efficiency audit despite being promised the consultation in a plethora of meetings.

(To be continued)

Copyright Business Recorder, 2022