FAISALABAD: The representatives of different industrial and trade organizations have demanded the government to provide equal facilities to value-added textile sector of the country for increasing the exports. In a joint news conference held here Tuesday, Chairman Pakistan Hosiery Manufacturers and Exporters Association (North Zone) Mian Kashif Zia, President Faisalabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FCCI) Atif Munir, Chairman Yarn Association Jawad Asgar and others demanded for continuing police on special power and gas tariff for sustaining of the value-added industry.
“We can get rid-of foreign debts by increasing the exports of the value added textile sector”, they said.
They said that they had no political agenda but wanted to strengthen the country’s economy by increasing the exports for which all stakeholders should be taken into confidence for formulating new policies. They said that prices of raw material had almost doubled after an increase in dollar rate and in this situation, the government should announce relief for the textile industry by taking all stakeholders on board. They also demanded for issuance of notification of duty drawback on Local Taxes and Levies (DLTL) soon. They said that textile sector’s exports had increased from 18 billion dollar to 32 billion US dollar during the last three and a half years. “If government increases electricity and gas prices then textile exports start to decline which leads to unemployment in the country”, they added. Shehzad Ahmed from APBUMA, Ameer Ahmed Vice-chairman PREA, Rana Abdul Ghafoor Embroidery Association, Waheed Khaliq Ramay Chairman Power Looms Owners Association, Ch Salamat Ali for Central Chairman PHMA, Dr Khuram Tariq Central Chairman PHMA, former President FCCI Syed Zia Alamdar were also present on the occasion.