ISLAMABAD: Finance Minister Ishaq Dar on Tuesday assured textile manufacturers that he would attend to the issues faced by the industry, including gas supply, to boost the exports of textile and clothing.

“We’ll fulfil the promises we made to the industry in the budget 2014-15,” he said during a meeting with businessmen from Lahore, Faisalabad and Multan.

The delegation told the finance minister that the textile sector “is all set to capitalise on GSP+ status once the problems are resolved”. The delegation also discussed with the minister the refund of advance sales tax.

On textile policy, Dar asked secretary textile industry to put up the draft in the next meeting of the Economic Coordination Committee of the Cabinet, said an official statement of the finance ministry.

The Ministry of Textile Industry said that the draft policy was sent to the finance ministry for approval in June. The policy was to be implemented from July this year because the old policy expired on June 30.

The proposed five-year textile policy will carry a support schemes worth Rs85 billion. One major part of the policy was announced in the latest budget by giving cash incentives to the textile and clothing exporters.

Still there are few infrastructure projects like establishment of garment weaving cities, ginning institute, etc under the proposed textile policy as well, the source added.

Textile Minister Abbas Afridi said that finance minister has shown concern over the fall in exports of textile and clothing and assured the business community equitable distribution of gas to the industries in the upcoming winter season.

Meanwhile, Dar also chaired a separate meeting on gas supply situation in the country. The meeting had an overall appraisal of the situation in the wake of the forthcoming IMF review.

In April 2014, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif constituted a ministerial committee, headed by Dar, on energy for the textile sector. The committee has yet to hold its first meeting.

The meeting emphasised the need to carefully manage and maintain gas supply during winter when demand rises considerably.

Published in Dawn, October 22nd, 2014