Pakistan govt has no alternative but assure continual gas supply to textile units at the soonest

Pakistan textile industry has been facing gas and power supply issue is the affecting the performance of the industry. The government need to act on this issue immediately as it has no other alternative but to assure uninterrupted gas and power supply to textile mills in an effort to help sustain the 15% growth in exports that the industry has been posting since January.

A summation to provide continuous gas supply to Punjab-based textile industry has been forwarded to the cabinet for approval. Decision in this matter is likely soon after a meeting with the All Pakistan Textile Mills Association (Aptma), said to the Federal Minister for Textile Industry Abbas Khan Afridi.

Also the government is mulling over to restarting production at the closed textile units to utilise their production capacity. As, it has been noticed that due to continual supply of gas to the textile sector in winter and there had been 15 percent increase in the textile exports during the last three months or so. The sector registered an 8 percent increase in exports during the last three years.

Mr Afridi has assured Aptma officials that he would take up the issue faced by the sector, especially the energy shortage with the prime minister. As the textile industry requires energy on priority basis as the sector has not been achieving but surpassing export targets for the last three years.
Also, during the last decade or so, no attention is being paid to increase per acre production of cotton; however the efforts are now under way in this regard.

A plan has also been worked out to increase the share of value-added products in textile exports to earn more foreign exchange. They need not only focus on export of yarn and grey fabric only but go beyond it.

Other issues like high cost of doing business will also be addressed gradually as a textile package is being framed in the wake of new market access that the country has won through the GSP Plus status. They are also working out plans to explore more markets in the south and north region.