A 16-member delegation of All Pakistan Textile Mills Association (APTMA) called on Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf on Wednesday to present him way forward of textile industry in order to strengthen exports and employment in the country.
Mohsin Aziz, Chairman APTMA, along with Gohar Ejaz, Group Leader APTMA, Seth Akbar, Vice Chairman, Tariq Saud, Vice Chairman, Ahsan Bashir, Chairman APTMA Punjab, Shahzad Ali Khan, Convener Energy Committee and Zonal Chairmen and Vice Chairman briefed the prime minister about fast eroding competitiveness of textile industry in the region due to short supplies of electricity and gas.
Representatives from Ministries for Textile Industry, Water and Power, Petroleum and Natural Resources and Finance were also present in the meeting.
Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf appreciated the efforts of APTMA leadership in safeguarding the interests and stakes of textile industry and further acknowledged the fact that textile industry was pivotal for growth in country's exports and employment. He said that the textile industry has suffered heavily due to energy crisis and passed through very difficult period.
The prime minister assured the APTMA leadership of considering the way forward proposed by Gohar Ejaz and Mohsin Aziz jointly for increase in exports and employment in the country.
Prime minister constituted the energy import terminal committee with Gohar Ejaz, Secretary Finance and Secretary Petroleum as its members. The said committee is due to meet on July 12 to find out way forward and workability of the project. The committee would have major preference of completing the terminal within a period of six months to safeguard the interests of the textile industry before the gas supply suspension in forthcoming winter.
Also, the APTMA leadership presented its short and long term proposals on a regionally competitive interest rate regime and the prime minister constituted another committee of Secretary Finance and Gohar Ejaz to discuss and finalise the proposals on July 12.
The Prime Minister also assured the APTMA delegation of extending exemption from loadshedding to the textile mills on independent feeders soon after improvement in the power generation.