LAHORE, Sept 16: The Pakistan Woollen Mills Association (PWMA) has opposed the proposal of Director Trade Organisations for its merger with the Pakistan Wool and Hair Association and said that both the associations performed different functions and represented significantly different trading sectors.

Expressing surprise over the proposal a spokesman of the PWMA Woollen said that the association promoted and protected the business interests of the woollen mills, machine made carpets and blanket manufacturers. Its overall sectoral investment ran in billions of rupees.

It said that the Pakistan Wool and Hair Exporters Association represented only the traders of raw wool, goat hair and tannery wool and practically had no investment in the sector. The domain of activities of the two associations was thus completely different and there was no sense in their merger.

The spokesman further said that the PWMA was an A class association that had its own criteria to have new members. He said that every new candidate for membership must be proposed by one and seconded by another member of the association and should have a complete operative spinning mills with a minimum 1,200 worsted type spindles, or should have complete operative woollen/semi-worsted plant with minimum 200 woollen or semi-worsted spindles or should have a complete operative plant for machine-made carpets and blanket plant with at least one manufacturing machine.

The spokesman urged the DTO to issue a fresh license as early as possible to PWMA to allow it to function smoothly.