KARACHI: Textile industry leaders have strongly opposed the ECC decision of allowing up to 30 per cent increase in gas tariff from January 1, 2015 on the pretext of protecting the viability of gas utilities saying the move is punitive and unjustified for consumers.

All Pakistan Textile Mills Association (Aptma) Sindh-Balochistan Chairman Tariq Saud strongly opposed the measure. He said that recovery of revenue losses because of gas theft from consumers was unethical and would be damaging for the industry, which provides employment and earns foreign exchange.

Rejecting the ECC policy guidelines to Ogra for increasing the gas tariff, Pakistan Apparel Forum (PAF) Chairman Jawed Bilwani said the move would result in total collapse of value-added textile sector.

He further said that value-addition could not be carried without the involvement of textile processing industry which needs gas for running its operations. If gas tariffs are increased it will cripple the processing ind­ustry by making it uncompetitive.

Published in Dawn, November 22th , 2014