FAISALABAD, May 24 Entrepreneurs attached with the value-added textile sector have announced to hand over keys of their factories to the government if they were extended step-motherly treatment over yarn issue by the textile committee constituted by the prime minister, comprising spinners.

At a press conference on Monday, incumbents of the Value Added Textile Forum (VATF) said 15 per cent regulatory duty was levied on yarn export on May 13 and a committee with representation from all stake-holders was constituted to oversee the whole issue. However, now another committee had been constituted that amounts to a conspiracy to completely destroy the value-added sector.

Rana Mushtaq Khan who is also central chairman of PHMA, said only spinners and their related stake holders had been given representation in the committee, hence it could not make cogent and impartial decisions.

PTEA chairman Khurram Mukhtar said the VATF had been making hue and cry for last many months and we lost more than $2 billion export orders because of delaying tactics on the part of spinners.

Quoting conspiracies hatched by the spinners, he said the textile ministry convened a meeting in which spinners were allowed to export 35 million kg yarn per month. “We accepted this decision in the best national interest which spelled devastating effect on value-added textile sector,” he said.

However, spinners reneged from their commitment and filed a writ petition in the high court, which was rejected, he added.

The issue was again raised and the forum demanded total ban on export of cotton and yarn, he said, adding “the ministry of textile industry made hectic efforts and decided to impose 15 per cent regulatory duty on yarn export. However, the decision is not acceptable to us as it would not help ease supply of yarn in the domestic market.”

He claimed spinners accepted 15 per cent regulatory duty but backed out very next day announcing counterproductive protestation.

PHMA vice chairman Naeem Ahmad said VATF would not accept this committee constituted unilaterally.

“We will not even attend the meeting as value added textile sector has been denied due representation,” he added.

The entrepreneurs unanimously announced that if discriminatory policy against the value-added textile sector is not changed, more than 25,000 textile factory owners would surrender their keys to the government, leaving 18.1 million workers jobless.

Other participants of the joint press conference were Aftab Ahmad, chairman, All-Pakistan Textile Processing Mills Association, Mirza Shafiq Ahmad, Chairman Tajr Mazdoor Industry Ittehad, Shakeel Ansari, chairman, All-Pakistan Sizing Industry Association and Waheed Khaliq Ramay, chairman, Council of Loom Owners.