Spokesman of All Pakistan Textile Mills Association (APTMA) has expressed deep concerns over textile industry being subjected to severe electricity and gas shortage situation. The SNGPL is also unilaterally curtailing gas supply for three days a week against a clear direction from the federal Petroleum Minister for twice a week gas curtailment for textile industry. Furthermore, he said the PEPCO has also started electricity shut downs for long hours, ranging between 8 to 10 hours a day, resulting into workforce layoff, production and export losses.
The APTMA spokesman added that the textile industry is constrained to run 30 – 40% below capacity due to energy shortage, restricting its potential to grow fast and earn foreign exchange for the national exchequer. The textile industry cannot afford closure of units for a single day, as it operates 24/7. There is no standby arrangement and it is not viable to operate on alternative fuels other than gas and electricity.
APTMA spokesman said the National Transmission and Distribution Company was disconnecting electricity supply to textile units intermittently causing machinery damages besides disturbance in shifts of textile workforce. He also informed that Central Chairman Gohar Ejaz is set to take up the issue with the federal Petroleum Minister on Wednesday (today) for immediate reverting to the agreed load management plan.
