Textile associations to hold roundtable conference this week

LAHORE: Textile industry associations will hold a roundtable conference on one point agenda of availability of electricity and gas at regionally competitive price without intra province disparity, All Pakistan Textile Mills Association (Aptma) Punjab Chairman Syed Ali Ahsan said on Monday.

The roundtable conference will be held by the end of this week, he added. Ahsan announced to defer Black Day protest, scheduled for December 6, after an assurance by Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif to take up the industry issues with the prime minister and get them resolved.

A delegation of all textile industry associations would also call on Federal Minister for Petroleum and Natural Resources Shahid Khaqan Abbasi on December 6 to apprise him of the industry problems, he added.

Ahsan said that 70 percent of spinning, 55 percent of weaving and 60 percent of processing industry is located in Punjab, which has become unviable due to the high cost of doing business.

Eventually, 35 percent of the industry has been shut because of the fact that the cost of doing business in Punjab has jacked up 10 percent against the industry located in other provinces. He said the production cost of industry, relying on Wapda or RLNG-fed energy, has been equalised and the Punjab-based textile industry is missing a level playing field.

“Exports of both yarn and fabric have dropped by 30 percent and 35 percent, respectively in quantitative terms against already achieved highest level of exports,” he added. The Aptma Punjab chairman expressed his gratitude to the Punjab chief minister for giving assurances to resolve the issues.