The Pakistan Textile Exporters Association (PTEA) has voiced concern over sudden gas suspension by Sui Northern Gas Pipeline Limited (SNGPL), as part of its annual turnaround of gas fields to undertake maintenance work and ease pressure on gas field. PTEA Chairman Asghar Ali and Vice Chairman Muhammad Asif told reporters that on June 23 SNGPL provided a three day gas supply schedule for next week to Faisalabad industries. However, on the very next day it abruptly suspended the gas supply without any prior consultation or notice to the industrialists. Textile processing is a constant process that goes on round the clock and any break in operations results in heavy losses not just in production and exports, but also in employment, PTEA officials said.
Mr. Ali said energy shortages are already forcing the textile industry to operate at half the capacity, and hence hampering its growth and also foreign exchange generation capacity, and the gas suspension has altogether halted the production. Continued gas suspension could result in loss of export orders, fleeing of capital, workers redundancy, and curtailment in Government's earnings, he added. Mr. Ali said that while the Government on one hand is looking to raise the growth targets, on the other its callous decision on power and gas suspension and high tariff utility rates are impeding the way of achieving these targets. According to Mr. Asif, if uninterrupted gas and power supply are not ensured for the country's industry, it would lead to a sharp fall in Pakistan's textile exports, as exporters would fail to timely execute the orders.
The PTEA leaders urged the Government to immediately resolve the energy and gas crisis issue to save the industry from heavy losses. They also requested the Government to take all textile industry stakeholders into confidence before taking any such decisions in future.
