KHAWAJA ASIF TOLD TO MIND HIS LANGUAGE

Khawaja Asif dubs textile sector a corporate beggar
Wednesday, October 01, 2014 – Islamabad—Minister for water and power Khawaja Asif has dubbed the entire textile sector corporate beggar and advised this sector to find out solution to lingering power and gas crisis on self help basis. The ministerial committee constituted by the Prime Minister to address the energy crisis facing textile sector has failed to convene its meeting so far. The minister for textile industry Abbas Khan Afridi is also taking no interest in discharging his responsibilities in his ministry.

APTMA sources said Punjab Textile industry constitutes 65 to 70 percent of overall textile exports of the country. The textile exports have declined by Rs 1 billion due to worst energy crisis in Punjab. 100 textile units in Punjab have been closed. In the wake of ongoing energy crisis in Punjab, textile industry has failed to reap any benefit from European Union KGSP plus status.

Industrial sector is facing 10 hours long electricity load shedding daily and gas is being supplied only for 8 hours daily. Industries are being operated at their 60 percent capacity and about 3 million industrial workers have been rendered jobless due to abolition of shifts in factories in consequence of devastating energy crisis. The industrialists complained that minister for water and power is focusing his interest only in political affairs and only a few federal ministers are wielding powers to take any decision in the matters related to national economy. The hands of minister for textile have been tied, therefore, the textile ministry is neither authorized to give any relief to the textile industry nor is independent in policy-making matters.—Online

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