All Pakistan Textile Mills Association (APTMA) has asked the government to immediately release the textile machinery and spare parts stuck at the ports due to restrictions on the import of items.
Chairman APTMA (Southern ZONE), Asif Inam, has said in a statement that the unnecessary hindrances in the import of machinery and the parts, which are essential for the smooth functioning of power plants and other industrial units in the country would essentially bring the industry to a halt.
He further said that members of APTMA are facing severe problems to run their mills due to the government’s import ban and subjecting the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) to the permission of the federal government.
Inam, while highlighting that the textile industry is the major export-oriented industry earning more than 60 percent of foreign exchange earnings through exports, urged Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif and Minister for Finance Miftah Ismail to take notice of the situation and direct the authorities to allow the import of textile machinery and its spare parts covered under Chapter 84 and 85 of the Customs Tariff without any further delay.
He further warned that if the government fails to do so, the production activities of the textile industry might be disrupted and as a result, the country would lose the export markets.
