ISLAMABAD: The textile industry has urged the government to expedite the implementation of the Competitive Trading Bilateral Contract Market (CTBCM), ensuring a multi-seller, multi-buyer model with minimal wheeling charges of 1-1.5 cents per unit to boost industrial productivity.
In a letter to Secretary Petroleum Momin Agha, the All Pakistan Textile Mills Association (APTMA) stressed that the CTBCM framework must exclude extraneous costs, such as cross-subsidies and stranded costs, which are unrelated to CTBCM consumers.
Proposal for Direct LNG Imports
APTMA also proposed allowing the textile sector to directly import 100 mmcfd of LNG and an additional 100 mmcfd of government-contracted LNG from Qatar, including terminal and pipeline capacities. This move, according to APTMA, would ensure reliable and affordable energy for captive power generation, relieving the government of surplus LNG contracts.
APTMA assured that the textile sector is ready to implement this initiative immediately without seeking subsidies or financial support from the government, aligning with free-market principles promoted by multilateral agencies and the government itself.
Concerns Over Energy Supply
The letter highlighted that government agencies have failed to provide continuous and affordable energy for the export-oriented textile sector, leading to operational disruptions and unsustainable cost increases. As a result, Pakistani textile products have become uncompetitive in the international market.
APTMA emphasized that swift action on CTBCM and LNG imports is crucial to restoring industrial competitiveness and ensuring sustainable growth in the textile sector.
Story by Khalid Mustafa
