Petroleum minister, APTMA to discuss gas supply issue today

Staff Report

LAHORE: Federal Minister for Petroleum & Natural Resources will visit All Pakistan Textile Mills Association (APTMA) on Wednesday to discuss the issue of gas supply to the textile industry, APTMA spokesman said Tuesday.

APTMA spokesman said the industry is seeking five days a week uninterrupted gas supply against the current arrangement of four days a week.

He said the APTMA chairman Gohar Ejaz is playing most important role to save industry from gas crisis in Punjab and he is pursuing the government for an equitable and transparent sharing of gas supply on SNGPL network.

He said the current four days a week supply to the textile industry has curtailed 43 percent of textile industry production, hampering its potential of producing and generating exportable surplus.

APTMA spokesman said the textile industry is a major export earner of the economy, employing 15 million direct and indirect workforce in the country therefore it is pertinent to ensure uninterrupted gas supply to save production and employment in country.

According to him, the textile industry is all set to achieve $14 billion exports this year, as Chairman of APTMA Gohar Ejaz had promised the President Asif Ali Zardari back in February while seeking free market mechanism and assurance of uninterrupted supply of electricity and gas.

He said the textile industry has the potential to achieve $20 billion exports next year provided issues concerning to energy security and its affordability is timely addressed by the government. He said the textile industry is ready to invest $1 billion per annum to produce further exportable surplus.

APTMA spokesman appreciated the Federal Minister Dr Asim Hussain for taking interest in resolving the gas supply issue of the textile industry. He said the visit of Dr Asim Hussain would instill a new hope for textile millers, who are anxiously waiting for reassurance of five days a week uninterrupted gas supply to the textile industry.