Textilers have strongly opposed one day increase in Gas load shedding for industry and termed it a deliberate attempt to shatter the export oriented textile industry. This would inflict a loss of one billion rupees daily in export earnings and value addition.
Briefing the newsmen after chairing a joint meeting of Pakistan Textile Exporters Association (PTEA), All Pakistan Textile Mills Association (APTMA), All Pakistan Textile Processing Mills Association (APTPMA), Pakistan Hosiery Manufacturers Association (PHMA), All Pakistan Bedsheet and Upholstery Manufacturers Association (APBUMA) and Khurrianwala Industrial Estate Association (KIEA) here Satirday, Asghar Ali, Chairman Pakistan Textile Exporters Association criticized the plea of gas managers that supply was compressed due to cold weather and said that this was not feasible because the weather had not yet touched the critical temperature point where gas is fossilized.
He said the fact of the matter is mismanagement galore. Resultant upon this failure to manage, more than 300 industrial units and over 1.5 million textile workers would be affected due to shortage of basic fuel creating industrial unrest, he said. The Gas administrators had worked out an agreed schedule to revolve the Gas load shedding two days a week, he said and added that the industrialists and exporters had accordingly scheduled their production and made commitments with foreign buyers to ship consignments on time. But all of a sudden, the duration of Gas load shedding has been increased arbitrarily for three days a week without consultation, he said.
This half week closure will cut down drastically the manufacturing of export goods and exporters would not be able to fulfill their commitments to foreign buyers, he added. He informed that a joint committee consists of all stake holders including PTEA, FCCI, APTMA, PHMA, APTPMA, APBUMA, KIEA and Sizing led by Khurram Mukhtar has been constituted to draw next line of action against emerging gas crisis.
Asghar Ali lamented the unfortunate Gas shortage at this crucial juncture of current fiscal when the country’s exports are already under huge pressure due to gas shortage as well as high prices of raw material. The industrial and manufacturing woes have been further aggravated by unprecedented electricity load shedding which disrupts the production activity in addition to Gas shut down, he said.
