Textile sector losing Rs2b annually

LAHORE - All Pakistan Textile Mills Association Chairman Tariq Mehmood has said that textile industry in the country is suffering a loss of around Rs 2 billion annually due to eight-hour electricity loadshedding and gas supply disconnection to the industrial units.
Addressing a press conference here at APTMA office Mr Tariq observed that textile industry is being subjected to four to eight hours electricity loadshedding daily. He said that winter has not even set in but gas-fuelled industry has been facing closure for nearly 21 on account of gas disconnections.
APTMA Chairman disclosed that 30 per cent industry has been shut due to energy crisis in the country and same is the case with unemployment as 30 per cent workers have to lose jobs in the wake of this crisis.
He said that usually industry runs on three shifts but dew to load shedding it is running just on two shifts. Beside this, unannounced loadshedding also hampering the pace of industrial work, he added. He further said that on average every industrial unit is facing a loss of 10 to 15 million annually due to closure of gas supply and power loadshedding.
“In 2005, the Government under the gas load management policy had set a priority list on the basis of which energy distribution to different sectors was regulated. Textile industry is not being given accommodation even in accordance with that list. Even the winter gas load management policy based on clusters concept has not proved beneficial because of the mismanagement of SNGPL,” he said.