KARACHI, Jan 11: Foreign buyers have now started raising questions about ability of the manufacturing sector in general and textile industry in particular of timely delivery of export consignments as the manufacturing units have been facing severe power and gas crisis.After the assassination of Benazir Bhutto, the industrial production and exports remained suspended for five days and there was large-scale default on part of exporters who could not ensure timely delivery of their commitments in the world market.

“In the past, the industry used to complain that due to adverse travel advisory by Western governments foreign buyers did not visit Pakistan and exporters had to meet them in Dubai or Singapore, but now these buyers have been expressing apprehensions about the Pakistani manufacturers’ ability to fulfil export commitments prior placing orders,” lamented a leading textile tycoon.

Reports reaching from Frankfurt suggest that Pakistani exhibitors presently participating in Heimtextil, the world’s biggest textile fair, are being frequently asked by visitors/buyers whether they would be able to fulfil export orders or not.

All Pakistan Textile Mills Association (Aptma), Punjab Zone, held a meeting on January 5 in which it was transpired that members would hold a protest march in front of Chief Minister House to protest the worst ever power and gas crisis, but on the intervention of the chief minister the protest rally was called off.Akbar Sheikh, chairman All Pakistan Mills Association (Punjab Wing), talking to Dawn on telephone said that gas and power crisis were so acute that on an average there was around 30 to 40 per cent production loss per day.

“When unscheduled loadshedding for eight to 10 hours has to be faced the industry goes out of production for around 10 to 12 hours because putting back production line after each closure also takes time,” he added.

He said Aptma members had defaulted in export commitments and had been complaining that their buyers were now shifting to other regional countries for ensuring timely delivery of orders. “In the past we used to open dialogue with foreign buyers on price fixing but now first question a foreign buyer puts to us if we can ensure timely delivery or not,” he maintained.He disclosed that due to power and gas crisis a spinning mill in Punjab was sustaining average monthly loss of Rs10 million. “This means that around 300 spinning units located in the province would suffer Rs3 billion losses in a month and Rs9 billion during three months from December to February,” he elaborated.

He said that policymakers did not realise that the textile industry could only meet export targets if it runs round the clock.