KARACHI: The country will have to import around four million cotton bales this fiscal year to meet textile industry’s demand of around 15m bales, said Zahid Mazhar, senior vice-chairman of All Pakistan Textile Mills Association (Aptma) on Monday.

Referring to reports that the Director General of Department of Plant Protection (DPP) has suspended cotton imports from India for failing to meet phytosanitary certification, he said this was a huge blow for the textile industry which is facing cotton shortage on account of short crop.

The installed capacity of textile industry is based on consumption of more than 15m bales of cotton every year but due to successive crop failure, the industry has to import about 4m bales each year to meet the demand.

Mr Mazhar was critical of the government policy and said that instead of taking supportive measures by removing 4 per cent duty on cotton import and 1pc income tax, the government has placed an unannounced ban on cotton imports from India. He said that no country has placed any restriction on import of cotton from India whereas DPP has stopped issuing import permits.

He suggested that cotton imported from India could be fumigated before being released in the market.

The textile industry has been facing many issues including the high cost of doing business and shortage of gas and power, he said. “The sector is desperately waiting for a textile relief package from the government.”

Aptma has approached the Director General of DPP with a request to immediately clear the consignments of Indian cotton which are piling up at the port, he informed.

Published in Dawn, December 6th, 2016