Chairman, All Pakistan Textile Mills Association (Aptma), Ahsan Bashir, has called for an uninterrupted power supply to textile industry in Punjab to rescue it from a total disaster. He lamented that the textile industry, on independent and grouped feeders in Punjab, is being subjected to eight to 10 hours a day unannounced load shedding against the four hours a day announced load shedding.
"The textile industry has declined its exports by 35-40 per cent in December 2011. It is expected that country may lose $300 million per month in second half of 2012 due to non-availability of energy to the export-oriented textile industry". Ahsan said the textile mills are timely paying utility bills to Discos with minimum line losses and 24/7 power requirement.
He said the industrial unrest is on the rise as the energy managers are shutting down 132KVA lines for textile industry in Punjab. Chairman Aptma Punjab said the textile industry was under serious threat of closure followed by bankruptcies, as its capacity of cash generation is at halt being a direct victim of energy shortage in the country. Further, he added that the industry was unable to meet the deadlines of exports orders.