Leading textile associations of the country have demanded, across country, sharing of the current gas shortage. Unjust and unfair burdening of single textile sector or specific areas would create distortions and discontentment among the people. These views were expressed by the participants of an emergent meeting held at Pakistan Textile Exporters Associations here on Sunday.
The meeting was attended by Gohar Ijaz, Chairman All Pakistan Textile Mills Association, Aftab Ahmad, Chairman All Pakistan Textile Processing Mills Association, Rana Mushtaq Khan, Central Chairman Pakistan Hosiery Manufacturers Association, Khurram Mukhtar, Chairman Pakistan Textile Exporters Association, Shakeel Ansari, Chairman All Pakistan Textile Sizing Association and Sheikh Abdul Qayyum, President Faisalabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
The participants vehemently condemned inequitable distribution of gas shortage among the various gas using sectors. They said that gas shortage was, in fact, only 600mmcuf, which if distributed on equity basis would result a minor share for every sector. However, the gas authorities were targeting the textile sector only, which was already reeling under high cost of electricity tariff and over head charges, raising the cost of Pakistani textile goods exorbitantly and reducing its incompatiblesness in international markets.
Aftab Ahmad and Sheikh Abdul Qayum said that we should be united on this point to confront this discriminatory gas shedding. Mian Azhar Majeed, Shakeel Ansari and Rana Mushtaq Khan said that the government should be made aware of this situation. Discriminatory gas shedding for Punjab only would have disastrous repercussions for the textile industry of the country which was the back bone of the economy and also major foreign exchange earning sector. The closure of textile industry would cause unemployment and joblessness.
Khurram Mukhtar and Mian Ahmad Kamal expressing their views said, "We should convince the government that it should spread the gas shortage across the board on all sectors without any discrimination, which would be tolerable and acceptable to all, and the problem would be taken care of". They further suggested that a committee of representatives of textile industry should be constituted to tackle this issue at highest level with the government for a just solution of the problem.
Accordingly a committee comprising Gohar Ijaz, Chairman All Pakistan Textile Mills Association, Aftab Ahmad, Chairman All Pakistan Textile Processing Mills Association, Rana Mushtaq Khan, Central Chairman Pakistan Hosiery Manufacturers Association, Khurram Mukhtar, Chairman Pakistan Textile Exporters Association, Shakeel Ansari, Chairman All Pakistan Textile Sizing Association and Mian Shabbir Ahmad was constituted. This committee held its first session at PTEA and decided to hold a joint press conference on Monday at 5.00 PM at APTMA House, Lahore.
Earlier, talking to newsmen, Khurram Mukhtar, Chairman and Sohail Pasha, Vice Chairman Pakistan Textile Exporters Association (PTEA) have expressed disappointment over increase in Export Finance Scheme (EFS) and LTFF refinance rates. Finance rate escalation would further hit the textile exports and industrial activity in the country. They said that Pakistani textile exports are already facing tough competition from rival countries in international markets as these rival countries India, China, and Bangladesh are providing substantial relief and assistance to their exporters by way of export finance and industrial credit, they said.
Substantiating their arguments, they stated, the exporters are allowed 5 percent concession on export finance and abundant credit on reduced rates to the industry under technology up gradation scheme. Similarly in China, the exports are facilitated through reduced electricity tariff, cheap labour and minimum overhead costs, they said. Contrarily Pakistani exports are overburdened with exorbitant input costs, taxes and duties, they continued.