LAHORE: The provincial chapter of the All Pakistan Textile Mills Association (Aptma) has threatened to close all textile mills over the energy issue. However, a formal decision has yet to be made.

Speaking at a news conference on Tuesday, Aptma Punjab Chairman S.M. Tanveer said, “All members will be invited to the general body meeting of the association within a month or so to make a formal decision.”

As summer nears, the duration of electricity load-shedding has been increased from six to 10 hours while gas supply remained at six hours a day. “This is making the Punjab-based textile units unviable with every passing day,” he said.

Textile units of the province were paying Rs82 billion extra in gas and electricity charges compared other provinces. “There are reports that electricity tariff is likely to increase by another Rs3 per unit,” he said, adding that the government was unable to supply gas and electricity.

Terming federal budget 2014-15 business-friendly, he said it has many incentives and facilities but all such budgetary steps would be useless when there is no energy.

“The federal textile minister had restrained us from taking any extreme step until the announcement of budget. We’re waiting for his response,” said Mr Tanveer, appealing to the prime minister and Punjab’s chief minister to ensure uninterrupted energy supply.

Published in Dawn, June 11th, 2014