As a final attempt, the representatives of textile bodies are holding talks with the government on Tuesday (today) in Islamabad for getting the gas tariff increase of 31 percent reversed. The federal government has taken this initiative after the announcement of strike by the Faisalabad textile manufacturers and exporters.
Also, the textile representatives of Lahore announced strike from June 11 against the gas tariff increase. While, the textile bodies belong to Karachi have also announced solidarity with Faisalabad textile manufacturers and exporters by declaring strike from Friday, if government does not revise the gas tariff downward for textile and captive power.
Finance Minister Naved Qamar and Commerce Minister Ahmed Mukhtar and representatives of textile manufacturers-cum-exporters bodies of the country will discuss issue of the gas tariff increase. While, industrialists from Karachi and Faisalabad would represent the textile sector.
The textile representatives included Pakistan Hosiery Manufacturers Association (PHMA) Chairman Jawed Bilwani, Faisalabad Chamber of Commerce (FCCI) President Khwaja Asim Khursheed, PHMA (NZ) Chairman Javed Aslam, former KCCI president Zubair Motiwala, Pakistan Textile Exporters Association Tahir Ishaq and others.
Source said that dialogue will take place at the Planning Commission office on Tuesday, for which the textile representatives have already evolved a detailed presentation and working papers to address all issues related to tariff.
They said the textile manufacturers and exporters have, in principle, decided not to accept a single penny increase in the gas tariff and demanded an end of cross subsidy at the expense of the textile sector.
Source said that Zubair Motiwala has made the whole proposals, in which he has drafted a new tariff table for all sectors, including textile and captive power. "If the government does not accept our demand of gas prices on the previous level then we will continue our protest till the acceptation of our demand", a member of the delegation said.
He said that due to the current raise in the gas tariff, the textile industry is on the verge of collapse and if the gas tariff is not restructured then the industries will close down automatically. "We have so many hopes with these dialogues and will try to convince the government officials for taking special measures to safe textile industry", he added.
He, however, indicated that in case of failure of dialogues, the textile industry would continue protest as per schedule, which will cause billion of rupee loss to the national exchequer, besides unemployment in the country.