Textile industry: Exports surge with sustained energy supply

Five-day gas supply improves conditions considerably.


May 23, 2012

LAHORE: All Pakistan Textile Mills Association (APTMA) Chairman Mohsin Aziz has said that textile exports have surged by 10% in April 2012 after President Asif Ali Zardari directed authorities to provide energy to the textile industry on a sustained basis.

According to Aziz, Minister for Petroleum Dr Asim Hussain and Minister for Water and Power Naveed Qamar ensured energy supply to industry on directions given by President Asif Zardari two months ago, which has helped manufacturers increase production of goods meant for export.

Textile exports registered an increase of $100 million in April 2012 on a month-on-month basis; surging to $1.14 billion in April against approximately $1 billion in March 2012.

Aziz said economic managers should take note of the fact that the simple step of improving gas supply to five days a week has had an immediate effect on textile exports. He said the textile industry can easily meet previous year’s targets if gas continues to be supplied five days a week, while sincere efforts are made to increase the number of days to six.

However, he pointed out that exports in quantitative terms are still declining compared to the corresponding period. Categories on the decline include fabric, which has declined by 15%; knitwear by 26%; bedwear by 20%; and readymade garments by 27%. Furthermore, Aziz said there is a 10% shortfall in value terms during the same period. He said the export shortfall has crossed $1.1 billion from July2011 to April 2012 against the corresponding period in the previous fiscal year.

The APTMA Chairman expressed the hope that the government will continue providing uninterrupted supply of both electricity and gas to the export-oriented, labour and capital intensive textile industry to achieve an export target of $1.2 billion per month in the days ahead.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 23rd, 2012.

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