Reduced gas supply adding to textile sector's woes

Textile industry in Punjab is crying for gas supply to keep operations intact and save jobs to millions of workers and foreign exchange for the country. The SNGPL has cut supply off for four days a week, an increase of one day in earlier arrangement of three days a week gas supply, to textile mills in the province of Punjab.
The textile industry leadership is left in lurch with the departure of both President Asif Zardari and Petroleum Minister Dr Asim Hussain for Dubai for unavoidable reasons. Both have been very positive towards the importance of textile industry and always ensure maximum gas supply to keep industry's wheel running.
The SNGPL has deviated from the government's commitment of four days a week gas supply to textile industry unilaterally. Interestingly, the SNGPL is cutting gas supply to industry without prior approval from the Minister concerned. The textile millers in Punjab, particularly in Faisalabad and Sheikhupura, are up in their arms against gas curtailment, agitating along with the textile workers.
The All Pakistan Textile Mills Association (APTMA) Punjab leadership is due to meet emergently to discuss the situation and chalk out future strategy. However, absence of the Federal Minister from the country has resulted into deferment of the meeting until Monday.
Ahsan Bashir, Chairman APTMA Punjab, meanwhile said the APTMA leadership is in touch with the Federal Minister in Dubai, assuring of continuity of four days a week gas supply to industry. He said no one in the industry is having alternate energy arrangement, a misperception being projected by a section of media. He said no one from among the textile millers would have been on roads if he had had alternate energy source. According to him, expansion in textile industry is entirely gas-based; once the government provided gas to the industry back in 2003-04. Majority of the mills have electricity arrangement of not more than 2MW electricity.
He said the textile industry exports would plunge terribly for next six months in case gas supply remained uncertain. Meanwhile, the Acting Chairman APTMA Seth Muhammad Akber told Business Recorder that the industry is facing serious problems in surviving amidst unprecedented gas supply cuts. He said the industry has already faced gas curtailment for 153 days during the outgoing summer.
Now, he said, there are strong rumours that the SNGPL is planning to deny gas supply to textile for 90 days. However, the Federal Minister Petroleum intervened timely and assured the industry of no such plan on the part of the ministry. He has also assured of four days a week gas supply despite the odd circumstances. However, the SNGPL has flouted the assurance of the Federal Minister soon he is out of country, said the Acting Chairman APTMA.
He said the foreign buyers are not coming to Pakistan due to the impression that the textile industry is out of gas supply. Also, he added, majority of buyers are carrying an impression that the US may also attack Pakistan; therefore, there is no guarantee of supply of orders ahead. Seth Akber said the industry is factually bearing a double hit under the prevailing circumstances.