Office-bearers of Pakistan Hosiery Manufacturers and Exporters Association (PHMA) on Tuesday warned the government of a huge decline in textile exports on the back of the shortage of gas. They said that the shortage of gas would also badly hit the national economy, adding that industrial closures would result in massive layoffs.

"Export-oriented industries in Faisalabad are compelled to shut down production for seven days a week in the wake of gas outages," PHMA's chairman Muhammad Jawed Bilwani said. He said that the continuous disruption of gas supply to textile units in Karachi had brought about a significant slump in output. He said: "Foreign exchange earning industries are left high and dry every winter, resulting in a decline in the output of textile manufacturing units."

The government, he said, should decide whether it wanted to earn foreign exchange and run local industries to generate employment opportunities or cater the needs of the CNG sector. He said all over the world, governments gave higher priority to export sectors, offering them attractive incentives "with a view to strengthen their economies". Criticising government policies, he said that Pakistani government had sidelined the entire export sector.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2012