No relief for Punjab despite gas price cut

Industrialists argue they are paying far higher price than Sindh counterparts

FAISALABAD: The Pakistan Textile Exporters Association (PTEA) has expressed concern over the disparity in industrial gas prices within the country, saying the recent reduction of Rs200 per mmbtu will prove unfruitful as the Punjab textile industry is already running on re-gasified liquefied natural gas (RLNG).

In order to register protest and announce a strategy against discrimination with the Punjab textile industry, all textile associations and the Faisalabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry will hold a joint press conference on Monday.

Briefing media after an emergency meeting on Saturday, PTEA Chairman Ajmal Farooq and Vice Chairman Muhammad Naeem expressed their reservations about the discrimination in industrial gas prices.

They termed it a unilateral decision which would provide relief to only Sindh-based industries where gas was available round the year whereas the industries in Punjab were compelled to use RLNG and no relief had been announced in its prices.

Elaborating, they said after the recently announced relief, gas would be available to Sindh industries at Rs400 per mmbtu whereas Punjab-based industries were paying over Rs900 per mmbtu for RLNG.

With a huge gap of 120% in the basic fuel prices, how could the Punjab industry compete even within the country, they asked.

They expressed deep concern that the textile industry had been left unattended to as nobody was ready to remove the disparity in the energy cost. They cautioned that a continuous shortfall in exports, especially in textile shipments, was alarming as textiles contributed over 55% to the total export earnings.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 27^th, 2016.

Like Business on Facebook, follow @TribuneBiz on Twitter to stay informed and join in the conversation.