LAHORE: The All Pakistan Textile Mills Association (APTMA) has called on the government to restore a regionally competitive business environment, particularly in energy tariffs, taxation and operating costs, warning that textile exports cannot grow unless these constraints are addressed.
Speaking at APTMA’s 67th Annual General Meeting, Patron-in-Chief Dr Gohar Ejaz said the industry could raise exports by more than USD 10 billion within a year if given a conducive environment. The sector currently contributes over 60 percent of Pakistan’s total exports and employs around 10 million people, he said.
He said exports had stagnated due to high energy tariffs, heavy taxation and rising business costs. Following sustained efforts by his group, the government had approved regionally competitive electricity and gas tariffs for export-oriented sectors, but the facility was later withdrawn, hurting exports, he added. Dr Gohar also announced an initiative to promote value-added exports.
Congratulating the newly elected office-bearers and members of the Central and Zonal Managing Committees, he said it was his group’s 17th consecutive electoral victory at both levels. He noted that the new leadership represents different stages of the value chain “from fibre to fashion,” with the North Zone Chairman coming from the garment sector and being among the major exporters of value-added textiles.
Outgoing Chairman Kamran Arshad said the industry’s export potential could not be fully realised unless the cost of doing business became globally competitive. He called for competitive energy rates, a tax system that encourages investment and exports rather than penalising exporters, and greater policy stability. He also urged the government to facilitate imports while protecting the domestic value chain from large-scale dumping, which he said was causing serious injury to local industry.
Newly elected Chairman Asad Shafi said Pakistan’s GDP had fallen to around USD 450 billion, with agricultural and industrial output declining significantly, while exports remained below USD 30 billion despite six to seven million births annually. This widening gap, he said, was pushing young Pakistanis to seek opportunities abroad. He attributed the decline in competitiveness to falling cotton production and stagnant exports, noting that electricity costs over 11 cents per kilowatt-hour in Pakistan against around six cents in neighbouring countries.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026
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