APTMA seeks gas supply at optimum pressure

Spokesman APTMA Punjab has said that the low pressure for even eight hours a day gas supply to the Punjab-based textile mills is adversely impacting production of textile mills. He said 80% of the Punjab-based textile industry is dependent on gas for in-house power generation and processing use. 16 hours a day gas supply suspension for the textile industry in the summer season is not understandable.
He said the Punjab-based textile mills are unable to generate revenue for payment of their utility bills and bank payments due to very low production base daily. The situation is fast moving to a point forcing textile millers to close down their operations completely until uninterrupted 24/7 energy supply, both gas and electricity is made available. He added the situation may lead to serious drop in manufacturing growth, rise in unemployment and imminent bankruptcies.
According to him, some 70% of the textile industry is located in Punjab with 10 million direct and indirect workforce earns livelihood facing serious threat of being out of business and massive lay-offs. He said the Punjab-based textile industry is in dire state due to energy crisis, eventually a fast eroding viability. Today, he said, about 10 hours a day announced load shedding of electricity besides the unannounced tripping and shut downs causing production and machinery damages.
He added that textile export orders in hand of the industry are being withheld due to supply chain disruptions. APTMA spokesman said the general body of APTMA has met on 10th June and resolved to hold a larger meeting of the association to take decision for surrendering keys of the mills to the government, if the situation continues unabated.
He further warned that burdening the industry with increase in utility tariff would further trigger the cost of doing business, especially when the Punjab-based textile industry is already paying through nose the inter-province as well as regional tariff difference.
He has urged the economic managers and the decision makers to convene a special meeting for facilitating the Punjab-based textile industry with conducive environment, enabling the industry to operate smoothly. APTMA spokesman has urged the government for providing eight hours a day gas supply at optimum pressure, removal of two hours mismatch of electricity and gas supplies and withdraw the load shedding from Punjab-based textile mills on independent feeders as prime users.