LAHORE: The All Pakistan Textile Mills Association (APTMA) Central Chairman Gohar Ejaz said on Monday that the government should form a clear policy of gas supply and demanded that the revised policy should not shift the total gas shortfall on the textile sector.
The Chairman grieved that the textile industry was consuming 15 percent (600mmcfd) of the total load of 4000mmcfd and was irked that the shortage was already being shifted on the industry. He said that the textile industry had already lost $1.5 billion of exports last year as a sizeable capacity remained idle on account of gas outages. This loss is likely to touch $3.0 billion this year due to an increase in value of commodities, he added.
He feared that industry production would bear losses to the extent of 30 percent if the textile industry is denied gas during peak load periods starting from November till February. He claimed that the textile industry had already suffered from unprecedented gas outages for 44 days during summer and the industry worries were piling up fast with regards to the next 12 months load management policy.
A gas denial to the textile industry would lead to heavy closures, a sector already inches away from bankruptcy. He said that 75 percent of textile industry in Punjab was exclusively dependent on gas supply to keep its wheel moving. The industry has faced the brunt of the situation, as it is already deprived of gas supply for some 45 days up to October this year, he added.
He grieved that the textile industry had no alternative but to switch over, as gas outages were rising. Gohar said that this gruesome energy situation is posing a serious threat to the industry viability, its exports potential and further investment of $1.0 billion in the wake of EU facility of market access.
He further deplored that cotton is still lying with farmers and industry’s potential to build inventories and tap upcoming opportunities is fading out fast. He urged the President, Prime Minister and Federal Petroleum Minister to ensure gas availability to textile industry in winter load management programme so that true potential of the textile sector could be achieved.
