More than 600 industrial units, most of them value-added and export-oriented textile units, were remained closed in Faisalabad region on the fourth consecutive day here on Sunday, while low gas pressure created severe problems for domestic consumers.
Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) on Saturday suddenly announced to increase one more day to the 3-day Gas-shedding per week schedule announced earlier, while Industrialists have announced to close down for seven days as a mark of protest. Textile associations also rejecting the decision of SNGPL, announced to launch a protest movement after the 10th of Moharram.
Commenting over the prevailing Gas-shedding situation, Ch. Salamat Ali, Chief Coordinator and former Chairman, Pakistan Hosiery Manufacturers and Exporters Association (North Zone) said that gradually increasing Gas-shedding including law gas pressure is adding further hardship for industrialist and Public, while daily wagers, as they would have to face unemployment not for three days but four days a week now.
He pointed out that Christmas season export consignments are extremely important for textiles as huge quantities of home textiles, made ups and garments are bought by European and American buyers to cater to the needs of retailers and cost conscious customers who plan to buy their winter season cloths during the month of December.
Foreign wholesalers and importers place bulk orders to fill their inventory racks in autumn season in anticipation of Christmas boom every year.
Buying orders for textile goods placed with Pakistani exporters were under manufacturing process but gas outages were hindering the completion and timely delivery of export consignments, he pin pointed.
Frequent increase in the prices of petroleum, electricity and gas were also adversely affecting the textile production and exports, he mentioned. He said that these hikes were spiking the cost of production, making textile exports costly and unacceptable to foreign buyers.
