LAHORE: The Punjab government on Saturday allowed reopening of the entire value chain of the textile industry. However, it said, the business community will be responsible to ensure adoption of coronavirus precautionary measures.

The government accorded the approval after a delegation of All Pakistan Textile Mills Association (Aptma) held a meeting with Chief Minister Usman Buzdar on Saturday. The association had earlier met with the chief secretary in this regard on Friday.

“We thank Chief Minister Usman Buzdar for allowing reopening of the industry value chain in the larger interest of the country’s exports and much-needed employment in these testing times. He did this after a delegation of the Punjab-based textile associations called on and briefed him about the measures taken by the textile industry to avoid the spread of coronavirus on factory premises,” Aptma Punjab Chairman Adil Bashir told reporters at a press conference.

“The CM expressed satisfaction over the arrangements and allowed the textile value chain to resume operations throughout Punjab.”

Mr Bashir said this decision of the government would save hundreds of thousands of textile workers from being laid off.

He maintained that the textile industry would follow all standard operating procedures in letter and spirit. The Aptma member mills had already adopted all precautionary measures during the processing of orders by providing masks, sanitisers and protective kits to the labour besides maintaining cleanliness, he claimed.

Published in Dawn, May 3rd, 2020