Aptma rejects budget; demands withdrawal of power tariff increase

LAHORE - All Pakistan Textile Mills Association (APTMA) Chairman Tariq Mehmood has urged the government
to withdraw the proposed 17pc increase in electricity tariff and create a separate electricity tariff for the textile
industry without any further delay.
While briefing the media at the APTMA office he said that due to unprecedented increase in electricity tariff, the
entire textile industry has become unviable, resulted in closure of 30pc textile units, leaving hundreds of
thousands of workers unemployed.
Recalling meetings with the government functionaries particularly those with the Advisor to PM on Finance
Shaukat Tareen, he said that the APTMA members were every time assured that their each and every problem
would be resolved but no promise was ever fulfilled till to date.
The APTMA Chairman showing his strong reservation said that APTMA rejected the federal budget completely
as there is nothing in the budget for industry and every commitment made earlier with them was dishonoured, he
added.
He said that our members are highly disturbed by the high interest rate of the banks and they are totally unable to
payback.
He said that current spell of loadshedding is causing productivity loss of millions of rupees a day to the textile
industry besides threatening the livelihood of millions of textile workers.
As a result of high power tariff, he said, every kind of business activity has been suspended and there would be
a decrease in direct and indirect exports of about and a loss in government revenue.
He said that composition of the textile industry is such that a problem in one sub-sector impacts the entire chain.
Yarn sales drop if there is any problem in sizing or weaving sectors. Apparel production stops if productivity in
weaving or finishing sector comes under stress.
He observed that currently, the textile industry is facing problems due to irregular power supply to its different
sectors. The government has assured regular power supply to textile units for 19 hours while load-shedding has
been reduced to five hours daily.
He maintained that this facility is available to units getting power supply from industrial feeders while units that
are getting supply from domestic feeders face uncounted and unlimited loadshedding.
He said that the power-loom sector, located mainly in Faisalabad and to less extent in Karachi, Kasur, Multan
and Gujranwala, is 100 per cent dependent on WAPDAs electricity. The sizing sector, which prepares yarn for
weaving, also relies on electricity supply from WAPDA. The sector badly affected is power-loom.
Load-shedding after every hour has totally stopped fabric production from these looms.
He said that the power-loom industries in Karachi, Kasur, Multan and Gujranwala have suffered the same fate,
rendering another 100,000 workers jobless in the sector.