KARACHI, Jan 16: The ban imposed on import of second-hand boilers has impeded the progress of export-oriented textile processing industries.

This was contended by All Pakistan Textile Processing Mills Association (Aptma) chairman M Iqbal Arbi in his recent letter to Commerce Minister Humayun Akhtar Khan.

Iqbal Arbi said over 400 textile processing units were being run with the help of imported second-hand marine boilers and added the restriction has proved anomalous and has done more harm than good.

The Aptma chief says imported second-hand boiler, which operates quite proficiently, costs approximately one to two million rupees, while the price of a new imported boiler in the same category ranges from eight to 20 million rupees. Similarly, he said locally-manufactured boiler was even costlier than imported one due to rising cost of inputs like electricity and gas.

He appealed to the commerce minister to lift the ban on import of second-hand marine boilers in the larger interest of national economy. Lifting of ban will curtail the production cost of export-oriented industries and boost exports, he added.