Top Exporters Performance Award Ceremony held: TMA chairman lauds PM’s pro-export announcements

KARACHI: The Chairman of the Towel Manufacturers Association of Pakistan (TMA), Ather Bari, has warmly welcomed the key policy announcements made by the Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, during the Top Exporters Performance Award Ceremony held on Friday, calling them timely, confidence-building, and highly encouraging for Pakistan’s export-oriented sectors.

The ceremony was held in Islamabad and attended by Chairman TMA, Ather Bari, who also welcomed the recognition of two TMA member companies for their outstanding performance. Towellers Ltd received the Woman Entrepreneur Award, for which heartfelt congratulations were extended at the Top Exporters Performance Award Ceremony, while Feroze 1888 Mills Ltd was also honoured for its significant contributions to Pakistan’s exports. The chairman TMA expressed sincere appreciation for the prime minister’s focused and proactive approach toward strengthening Pakistan’s national exports and supporting the export community.

According to the chairman TMA, the prime minister’s keen personal interest in promoting Pakistan’s export sector has provided something meaningful to cheer about for exporters who have been operating under intense cost, energy, and liquidity pressures.

The chairman TMA highly appreciated the reduction in electricity tariff for industrial consumers by Rs 4.04 per unit, noting that this measure will directly lower production costs and significantly enhance the global competitiveness of Pakistani exports, particularly in energy-intensive sectors such as textiles and towels.

The reduction in the Export Refinance Rate by 4.5 percent was termed another major relief for exporters, expected to ease financial constraints, improve cash flows, and enable exporters to expand operations and secure new international orders.

The chairman TMA also commended the prime minister’s announcement to grant Blue Passports for a period of two years to top-performing exporters, recognizing their valuable contribution to the national economy and facilitating smoother international business travel.

Furthermore, the announcement of wheeling charges at Rs. 9.00 per kWh was described as a progressive and forward-looking step toward energy sector reforms, offering exporters greater flexibility, transparency, and cost predictability.

The chairman TMA stated that these announcements clearly reflect the prime minister’s strong understanding of exporters’ challenges and demonstrate the government’s firm commitment to export-led economic growth. He expressed confidence that the consistent and effective implementation of these measures will significantly enhance exports, boost industrial productivity, strengthen Pakistan’s foreign exchange earnings, and further support efforts to reduce the cost of doing business.

The chairman TMA, Ather Bari, further emphasised the importance of facilitating ease of doing business for exporters. He requested the prime minister to advise his economic team to place greater focus on reducing compliance burdens and audit-related pressures, which exporters currently face. He noted that improving the ease of doing business would not only encourage more investment and create additional employment opportunities but also enhance foreign exchange earnings, ultimately benefiting the national exchequer.

These developments were termed good news for the export community. The chairman TMA reaffirmed the Towel Manufacturers Association of Pakistan’s full support for the government’s export-promotion initiatives and emphasised the Association’s commitment to continued collaboration for the long-term growth and global competitiveness of Pakistan’s textile and towel export industry.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2026