The towel processing industry, mostly Karachi-based, is in danger of closing down within a short time due to acute shortage of Caustic Soda and Soda Ash, the basic inputs for dyeing and processing. In a press release issued here on Tuesday, the Towel Manufacturers' Association of Pakistan (TMA) stated that towel made-up were highly export-oriented commodities and fetched US 872.58 million dollars in the last year, but due to acute shortage of the said chemicals, the towel industry was facing multifarious problems.
Terming the situation as "artificial shortage", the TMA urged the government to take measures in this regard and rescue the value-added sector of towels and its made-ups by issuing order to the manufactures of Caustic Soda and Soda Ash to release supply of the same to towel exporters.
Otherwise, it was feared that the foreign buyers would cancel the export orders and towel manufactures would not be able to achieve the target, set by the government, the TMA added.