Chairman Standing Committee on Industry and Production in the National Assembly Asad Umar has criticised discrimination on energy input for the textile industry, saying that a unified energy price should be available across the country. "Under Article 158 of the Constitution, the availability of natural resources could be an issue but there can be no issue on the pricing of energy," he stressed.
He was talking to media after attending a presentation on growing crisis in textile industry. Chairman Advisory Council APTMA Gohar Ejaz made an emphatic presentation and demanded seven cents per unit energy price for textile industry across the country.
Asad Umar said the government was charging various kind of taxes on electricity and as additional taxes which has rendered textile industry uncompetitive. "Pakistani exporters have been left handcuffed in a boxing ring against regional competitors," he said.
He criticised Finance Minister Ishaq Dar for retaining refunds of the industry to control fiscal deficit. He said the PTI had opposed Gas Infrastructure Development Cess but the courts allowed it without realizing that it was meant for Iran-Pakistan-India gas pipeline project, which is nowhere on the ground. He stressed upon the imposition of export emergency in the country, saying that the country was heading fast towards a bailout package from the lending agencies. He added the US has an influence on the lending institutions, therefore, it can force Pakistan for a compromise on national security in case no economic emergency is imposed without a delay. He lamented that the textile mills were selling their machinery as a junk due to the unviable production cost.