All Pakistan Textile Mills Association (APTMA) expressed grave concern over the proposed loading shedding and curtailment of gas to the textile industry in the winter season and demanded for uninterrupted and smooth gas supply to intense export and job-oriented sector.
The step would bring multi-dimensional effect over the textile industry and hardest hit because it is the biggest consumer of gas in captive power units, said Chairman APTMA, Mohsin Aziz here on Monday. He said the industry has already suffering from unprecedented power load shedding in the country, whereas the commercial banks' high interest rate and increases in the duration of gas load shedding and curtailment might prove the proverbial last straw that breaks the cannel's back.
Aziz said that the APTMA seeking for preferential treatment in the matter of gas supply for the season because of any step detrimental to the smooth and uninterrupted waning of the textile industry would not only adversely affect its vision of increased export, but also cut short the present export earning, which stood at more than 50 percent share in total merchandise export.
He said that the steps would be shutting down of textile units resulting in unemployment for long periods of labour force, which was 40 percent of manufacturing sector labour force, approximately, 3.5 million direct and 10 million indirect employees. APTMA chairman maintained that the massive unemployment in already bleak employees market of the country would lead to unprecedented unrest among the out of job workers, while realising the reality of low gas production in he country.
Nevertheless, he emphasised that textile industry should be given preferential treatment, but the gas and power loading shedding or curtailment would hit industry and the workers. He said that the cotton growers who were the part and parcel of the textile industry would face starvation from the miserable future that was starting blank in their fates.
Dispelling the impression spinning to compelling the cotton growers to sell their produce at lower rates, he said that the lower rates of cotton is a global phenomenon, saying that the New York future has been showing negative sign for the last 10 days.
Another reason, he added that the prohibitively high bank interest rates prevented the spinners from keeping a big stock, thereby resulting in lesser purchase of cotton. He said the lower grade of cotton coming to market is also one of the contributing factors to affect the prices. He said it is in the interest of APTMA that the cotton growers remained a happy and contended lot. APTMA believed in open market mechanism policy and it is keeping this goal in sight, he said that APTMA always opposed the ban on export of cotton.
APTMA Chief emphasised that a vibrant textile industry is in the supreme interest of the country since it contributes substantially to the much needed export earnings and provides employment directly and indirectly to millions and at the same time, it is farmers' friendly since it provides immediate and lucrative outlet to their produce. Keeping in view high plus points, the Chairman APTMA gave an urgent call for sparing the textile industry from the menace of gas loading shedding and curtailment in the coming winter months.