January 9, 2002	Wednesday	Shawwal 24, 1422

FAISALABAD, Jan 8: Over 35 per cent powerlooms factories and other textile ancillary units have been closed down in the city and its adjoining industrial areas owing to continuous recession and escalating tariff of utility services rendering thousands of labourers jobless.

A survey on Monday showed that majority of the powerloom factories, and units of dying, calendaring, printing finishing, sizing and hosiery manufacturing factories situated in Faizabad, Ghulam Muhammadabad, Dogranwan Road, Maqbool Road, Canal Road, Sohailabad, Sadhar, Kokianwala, Baowala and other areas had been closed down by their owners on the pretext that they were not in a position to run their business due to serious recession in the market especially after Sept 11 incident.

Some of the owners of cottage industries were of the view that tension on border and suspension of orders by the big buyers, they had been facing financial constraints and left no option but to stop wheels of their machines. Thousands of daily wage earners were also seen sitting idle outside closed factories and industrial units.

It was also noticed that scores of factory owners terminated the services of hundreds of their daily wage employees as cost-cutting measures.

It was also observed that despite all out efforts by the federal government no positive step had so far been taken by the agencies concerned to provide incentives to small industries. The escalating tariff of electricity, gas and other utility services also forced industrialists to slash their working. The owners of small industries demanded of the government to exempt their units from taxes for five years so that they could run their business with peace of mind.