APTPMA concerned over wrong calculation of gas bills

FAISALABAD: The All Pakistan Textile Processing Mills Association (APTPMA) has expressed grave concern over wrong calculation of GIDC bills issued by the SNGPL & SSGCL to the textile processing industry to recover the arrears of GIDC in 24 monthly installments.

Zubair Motiwala chaired a joint meeting of Central Executive Committee of APTPMA. Newly elected APTPMA chairman Zulfiqar Ali Chaudhry and a large number of newly-elected office-bearers and members executive committee also attended the meeting.

Through a unanimous resolution, the participants expressed grave concern and lamented over the wrong calculation of GIDC billing.

The resolution said the gas companies are issuing GIDC bills to the textile processing industry from 2011 instead of 2015 onward, the house apprehended that it would cost devastating repercussions on the industry and the national economy.

The resolution expressed the apprehension that as per recent decision of the Apex Court about the GIDC matter, the GIDC Act 2015 has been re-validated and in view of the decision and under section 8(2) of GIDC Act 2015 which clearly states that the consumers who have not charge to their customers are not liable to pay this GIDC upto 31.12.2015.

It was also clearly stipulated in the GIDC Act 2015 that the said cess shall not be collected from industrial sector excluding fertilizer and fuel stock.

The meeting apprehended that wrong billing for recovery of GIDC would create severe liquidity problems and escalate cost of production and render products unviable and incompetitive in the domestic as well as international export market.

The house appealed to Prime Minister Imran Khan and Abdul Razzak Dawood, Adviser to PM on Commerce, Dr Abdul Hafeez Shaikh, Adviser to PM on Finance & Revenue and other high-ups to get the issue resolved on priority basis and instruct gas companies to withdraw the GIDC recovery bills.