Acting Chairman APTMA Punjab Syed Ali Ahsan has said that the future of 15 million textile workers is at stake due to unprecedented electricity and gas load shedding for textile mills in Punjab. He said all the Discos are observing 10 hours a day electricity load shedding since June 29, jeopardising the running capacities one after another in Punjab.
He deplored that the government was not ready to prioritise the industry in energy supply, resulting into about three billion dollars export loss during the fiscal year 2013-14. He deplored that energy supply to the textile industry during last four years has come to an alarming level, questioning the survival of industry altogether.
"The electricity load shedding was merely four hours a day in 2011 against 10 hours a day in 2014," he said. "The gas load shedding was merely seven hours a day in 2011, which has jumped to 16 hours a day in 2014," he added.
Ahsan said the textile industry is mainstay of Pakistan economy, contributing 46 percent in manufacturing, eight percent in GDP and 53 percent in total export receipts. Further, 15 million direct and indirect workforce is attached with the industry and some 70 percent of the textile industry is based in Punjab.
Besides abnormal rise in load shedding of electricity and gas, he said increase in electricity tariff by 67 percent since August 2013 is adding fuel to the fire, particularly in Punjab where 84 percent of the total consumption belongs to industrial sector. Also, the Punjab-based industry is also being discriminated due to inter-province and regional disparities.
Resultantly, he said, the textile exports have dropped by six percent in FY 2013-14 in value terms besides a significant reduction in quantity terms ie yarn by 25 percent and cloth by 36 percent. He has apprehended that the prevalent situation would lead to complete shutdown and massive layoffs across the Punjab. Therefore, he has urged the government to prioritise the industry in power supply as per NEPRA regulations, apex court order and commitment with the IMF. Also, he said, availability of gas supply to the Punjab based mills be at par with other provinces. In addition, a special textile industry tariff be announced and no TOD tariff be extended to the three-shift textile mills on independent feeders.
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