Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) has announced five days gas loadshedding, here on Saturday, which will start from Sunday (today) and continue till March 4. Gas loadshedding will create huge problems for more than 600 industrial units including textile processing, printing, sizing, dyeing units, hosieries and washing soap and chemical manufacturing plants.
A large number of powerloom units, hosiery, textile ancillaries and stitching units remained closed due to current liquidity crunch. Chairman, Pakistan Hosiery Manufacturers & Exporters Association (PHMA) North Zone, Chaudhry Salamat Ali said that severe gas loadshedding is having negative impact on the textile sector especially in Punjab.
The situation would lead to closure of industrial units and a large number of people lose their jobs. The textile sector was the lifeline of Pakistan''s economy but due to other priorities this base was gradually being eroded and the manufacturing and exports were being crushed by five days gas loadshedding every week, he added.
In a press statement, he demanded of the government to accord preferential treatment to textile sector and save the industry and the economy from collapse. He pointed out that gas is imperative to run the wheel of the textile industry and allied ancillaries and venders. But without its availability, no one could even think to run industry and boost exports.
The chairman PHMA said that most of the industrial units in upcountry have been closed and the remaining would also close down. He said that the output of the industrial sector declined sharply in 2010 owing to electricity and gas shortages. He also said that if the leadership is unsuccessful in resolving the industrial problems on an urgent basis, almost 30 percent industries might close down in 2011. He demanded that textile industry must be taken into confidence while policymaking to resolve the energy crisis.