APTPMA up in arms with SNGPL over gas suspension

10 Jan '11

2 min read

The All Pakistan Textile Processing Mills Association (APTPMA) has strongly rebuffed the gas suspension schedule declared by the Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL), pursuant to which no gas would be made available to the textile units in the region for four days from January 7.

Terming it to be detrimental to the exports and the economy, the Chairman of the Association Muhammad Saeed Sheikh said that during a meeting between the APTPMA officials and the Prime Minister of Pakistan Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani, it was decided that there would be two gas holidays in a week for all the textile units in the Punjab territory, but then this is for the third time that the SNGPL authorities have broken the PM's order.

He opined that, the government is intentionally oppressing the textile industry in spite of the sector being a key employment generator and contributing around 60 percent of the total foreign exchange flowing into the country each year.

He further stated that, though the government has decided to shutdown gas supply to four fertiliser units for 15 days from January 7 onwards, but still this is not going to benefit the textile processing firms anyhow with better gas supply, as gas supply to these units too has been scheduled to remain suspended for four days during the period. This continuous gas shutdown for four days is believed to badly hit more than 565 textile firms and the value-added sector, he added.

Such an imprudent move on part of the government would not only claim jobs of thousands of labourers and daily wage earners, but would also cause the textile and its auxiliary industries to suffer heavy losses, he said. Lastly, he urged the PM to review the matter and to aptly direct the SNGPL to annul its decision of gas suspension for four days.

Fibre2fashion News Desk-India

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