KARACHI, Dec 30: The Pakistan Readymade Garments Manufacturers and Exporters Association (Prgmea) has urged the government to exempt the textile sector from the recent hike in gas tariff.

Prgmea’s central chairman Bilal Mulla said on Friday that textile products were facing stiff competition in the world market under the WTO free trade regime. “The increase in cost of production owing to a hike in gas tariff will make textile products uncompetitive in the international market.

He said there was no justification for increasing the gas tariff which was obtained from indigenous sources. “The government should exempt the export-oriented industries from the tariff increase as it has spared the fertilizer sector.”

Bilal Mulla said the government had provided a research and development support to garment exporters in order to help them survive in the world export market. However, the increase in gas charges would offset the benefits.

He appealed to Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz to direct SSGC not to apply the new gas tariff to the textile export industries.