PHMA urges PM to announce textile package

Much-awaited textile package, promised by the prime minister to steer the textile industry out of crisis, is not being announced by the government while the crisis is worsening day-by-day.

In a letter written to the prime minister, Pakistan Hosiery Manufacturers & Exporters Association Chairman Adil Butt stated that the textiles in general and the value-added apparel sector in particular were becoming uncompetitive in international market. ‘That is why export of our textile is continuously on the decline for the last few years while that of our competing countries like Bangladesh, India, China and Vietnam is on the rise’, he said. Butt said that not only our share in the global market was shrinking and going to other countries but also the unit price of our products was decreasing thus resulting in reduced profitability for Pakistani exporters.

He urged the PM to come to rescue this vital sector of economy and announce the relief package, as only then the exports of country could be sustained. He further added that capacity of the industry was mostly un-utilized while overhead costs have increased, compelling the apparel sector factories to think of alternatives.

He also stressed that the supply of power and gas should not be interrupted during winter as the export orders in hand have to be honoured, otherwise the industrialists would be losing the hard-earned export markets. He considered the textile package as a ray of hope for survival of apparel sector and urged that it should be announced without any further delay.