All Pakistan Textile Mills Association (APTMA) has requested Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to restore the gas supply to the textile industry on an urgent basis as the suspension will cause a loss of at least $1 billion in just 15 days.
In a letter written to the prime minister, APTMA Patron-In-Chief Dr. Gohar Ejaz said that the gas supply to the industry has been suspended from 1 to 8 July, and businesses will also remain closed on the Eid holidays from 9 to 14 July which will cause a loss of at least $1 billion.
Dr. Ejaz reminded the PM that the textile industry has reached a new record with exports hitting $20 billion from $12.5 billion within two years. He said that the growth in exports was due to the implementation of the Regionally Competitive Energy Tariff (RCET), investment of $5 billion in expansion, and the establishment of 100 new textile units. This increased the industry’s export capacity by $500 million per month, he added.
He complained that the industry, which was contributing heavily to exports and could deliver $2 billion in exports every month, was being denied the supply of gas. He cautioned that if the situation continued, it would lower the exports causing the economy to further worsen.