Energy shortages: 'Textile industry facing tough competition against regional competitors'

Textile industry in Pakistan is facing tough competition against the regional competitors including Indonesia, Vietnam, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, China and India. A comparison chart prepared by All Pakistan Textile Mills Association (APTMA) reveals the textile industry in the regionally competing countries are enjoying 24/7 energy availability to the textile mills. But the textile mills in Pakistan, particularly those in the province of Punjab, are facing energy shortage. The Association has further claimed that over 100 textile mills have closed down production capacities because of energy shortage and other relevant factors in Punjab.
In addition, the textile industry in Pakistan is paying an energy tariff of 14.25 Cents/KWh comparing with 9 Cents/KWh in Indonesia, 7 Cents/KWh in Vietnam, 9 Cents/KWh in Sri Lanka, 7.3 Cents/KWh in Bangladesh, 8.5 Cents/KWh in China and 9 Cents/KWh in India.
However, the textile industry in Pakistan is enjoying equal treatment on the matrix of interest/policy rate. The data shows the interest/policy rate for textile industry in Pakistan is 6 percent against 7.5 percent in Indonesia, 6.5 percent in Vietnam, 6 percent in Sri Lanka, 5 percent in Bangladesh, 4.6 percent in China and 6.75 percent in India.
But it has registered an alarming slide on the bar of minimum wage rate, which is $125 per month in Pakistan against $74 per month in Indonesia, $90 per month in Vietnam, $66 per month in Sri Lanka, $68 per month in Bangladesh, and $90 per month in India. It is only China, which is leading even Pakistan on this front with $200 per month wage of textile workers. Therefore, the Chinese entrepreneurs are in the process of assessing the strength of Pakistan market to relocate its textile units here in the days to come, said one local textile miller.
So far, as the currency change is concerned during the period starting from December 2013 to December 2015, it is -15.2 percent in Indonesia, -5.6 percent in Vietnam, -9.3 percent in Sri Lanka, -0.6 percent in Bangladesh, -5.1 percent in China, -8.1 percent in India against +3.0 percent in Pakistan. The Association data has further pointed that there is no investment promotion scheme/park in Pakistan throughout the region, which is a common feature of textile industry in all competing countries. Similar is the claim regarding the export promotion incentives/schemes.
It is interesting to note that the technology up-gradation in India, China, Bangladesh and Vietnam is 100 percent of looms with less than 10 years of age against 25 percent in Pakistan and 22 percent in Indonesia. Pakistan textile industry is also on the higher end on duties, taxes and surcharges on exports, which is greater than 5 percent against less than one percent in Indonesia, Vietnam, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and China which a nil in India.
The installed capacity utilisation is equivalent to 95 percent in Vietnam, Bangladesh and China, 90 percent in Indonesia, Sri Lanka and India and less than 70 percent in Pakistan. The textile and clothing exports growth data from 2011 to 2014 has revealed that the Indonesia has registered $0.43 billion growth, followed by $8 billion in Vietnam, $0.75 billion in Sri Lanka, $6 billion in Bangladesh, $50 billion in China and $6 billion in India. It has decreased by $0.5 billion in Pakistan.
The data shows share of Pakistan in world textile and clothing export market has touched down to 1.6 percent in 2014 against 2.23 percent in 2005. The world textile and clothing export market was around $400 billion in 2005, which has reached to $800 billion in 2015. The industry sources said Pakistan textile and clothing exports should have been $18 billion in case it could keep the momentum of 2.23 percent over the period in between 2005 to 2014.