HASSAN ABBAS

LAHORE: All Pakistan Textile Mills Association (APTMA) on Tuesday appealed to Chief Justice of Pakistan to provide them relief by taking notice of cases which were pending for three years regarding discrimination in gas and power tariff for the industry of Punjab.

Group Leader APTMA Gohar Ejaz said this while addressing a press conference along with Chairman APTMA Punjab Ali Pervaiz Malik after the APTMA Punjab general body meeting which was attended by over 100 members from Lahore, Faisalabad and Multan.

The APTMA members rejected the 10-hour load-shedding schedule announced for the industry during Ramadan. APTMA Punjab Chairman Ali Pervaiz Malik demanded Rs 8 per kWh electricity tariff for the textile industry in Punjab and uninterrupted electricity supply during Ramazan.

“The government should also continue giving relief of Rs 3 per unit under the prime minister’s textile industry package as the Punjab industry is unable to operate on over 100 per cent energy price disparity viz other provinces.”

They raised industry’s concerns relating to energy supply and affordability. They said the mills would have to close down one and a half shift production as labour would not be able to have Sehri and offer Tarawi prayer due to a total blackout on premises of mills.

He said Central Chairman APTMA Aamir Fayyaz and group leader APTMA will lead a delegation of 50 textile millers for having a meeting with the finance minister in Islamabad where issues of energy supply and affordability would be discussed. “Textile units on independent feeders will be forced to lay off workers due to the suspension of one shift production in case the government carried out load-shedding for industry in Ramazan,” he warned.

Ali Pervaiz voiced his concern over the growing trade deficit. He said the only way forward for the government is to enable exporting industry to generate exportable surplus and earn precious foreign exchange to overcome $20 billion trade deficit for current year. The export growth achieved in the recent past would reverse if the potential to produce of the industry is disturbed due to 10 to 12 hours industry load shedding, he added.

He said per unit cost of the mills relying upon system gas and RLNG would shoot up to Rs14 per unit as well. “Therefore both the mills were relying either on independent feeders or captive power plants would have to become further uncompetitive,” he apprehended. He demanded an immediate announcement for bringing bring down electricity tariff from Rs 10.5 to Rs 8 per kWh which was committed by the government on various forums and meetings. The system gas quota of 28 percent should be enhanced to 50 percent so that high price of RLNG could be reduced. “The APTMA leadership will protect its members from all types of discrimination as the industry cannot pass on cross subsidy, inefficiencies and the financial cost of sales tax and duty drawbacks to its buyers in the international market,” said Gohar Ejaz.