The association has also expressed fear that the current curtailment of gas would lead to huge production losses to the textile industry.
PTEA Chairman Sohail Pasha and Vice Chairman Rizwan Riaz resented the gas supply cut, saying that the textile export consignments worth millions of dollars for Christmas sales have been hampered due to the closure of value addition chain industries as a result of gas load-shedding.
“The industry will suffer huge productivity and supply losses as the manufacturing process will remain halted for almost 13 days because of Eid holidays followed by gas suspension,” they said.
“With such a lengthy break in industrial activity, how can exporters meet deadlines for supplying Christmas sales orders?”
Gas supply was suspended without consulting industrialists disrupting the industrial process, they said, adding that the processing sector operates round the clock as textile processing is a continuous and shutting down the operations causes heavy damages.
The suspension, besides affecting exports, is also causing textile workers to lose their jobs, they argued.
“For economic revival, it is imperative to allow textile industries perform in order to earn foreign exchange,” they said. “We request Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to order the gas authorities to ensure gas restoration to industries at the earliest.”
Pasha said the textile industry is already running below capacity due to energy constraints, ultimately affecting potential to grow further.
He warned that the situation would lead to missing export orders, capital flight, labour lay-off, worsening of law and order and a drop in the state’s revenue.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 9th, 2014.
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