APTMA Seeks Removal Of Cross Subsidies From Energy Tariff

All Pakistan Textile Mills Association (APTMA) newly-elected Chairman Kamran Arshad has urged the government to remove cost of cross-subsidies, line losses, inefficiencies, power theft and stranded cost from electricity tariff on export industry as such costs cannot be exported

LAHORE,(UrduPoint/APP - UrduPoint / UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News-Sept 30, 2023) :All Pakistan Textile Mills Association (APTMA) newly-elected Chairman Kamran Arshad has urged the government to remove cost of cross-subsidies, line losses, inefficiencies, power theft and stranded cost from electricity tariff on export industry as such costs cannot be exported.
Addressing the Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Association here Saturday, he cited that export sector is exempted from all sorts of local taxes, duties, surcharges and levies all over the world and even the World Trade Organization (WTO) allows such waivers.

He said that non-exportable costs make Pak products un-competitive in the international market. He hoped that Federal government would facilitate export sector by ensuring Regionally Competitive Energy Tariff (RCET).
Earlier, APTMA Secretary General Raza Baqir announced the election results of the newly-elected office-bearers and members of the managing committee of the North Zone.

He informed the meeting that as per result, the same Group has clinched all the seats in APTMA North elections for the year 2023-24 for the 15th consecutive year. Kamran Arshad elected as Chairman, Asad Shafi as Senior Vice Chairman, Ahmad Shafi as Vice Chairman and Shaiq Javed as Treasurer, while Managing Committee members are Danish Aslam, Ismail Fareed Sheikh, Shams Elahi, Hafiz Mustanser Ahmed, Habib Anwar Sheikh, Hussain Ahmad Fazal, Ismail Aamir Fayyaz, Kh.

Najam Roomi and S. M. Raffay.
The outgoing Chairman APTMA (North Zone) Hamid Zaman congratulated the new office-bearers and Managing Committee, and hoped that newleadership would work hard to strengthen the export potential of textile industry.

According to him, the last year has been tough and challenging due to tight monetary policy, fiscal constraints, rising energy costs, rapid depreciation of Pak rupee, political uncertainty and global economic meltdown.

Despite also odds, he claimed, textile industry continued to struggle satisfactorily. He said the industry in the Punjab was almost crippled due to withdrawal of RCET in March 2023 and energy tariff disparity within Pakistan.

To alleviate the energy crises, he mentioned, APTMA adopted an aggressive strategy which included intensive lobbying through media campaign and knocking on the doors of all concerned quarters for restoration of RCET.

He said APTMA has requested the government to create separate power tariff category B6 for export-oriented industry that excludes economic inefficiencies like cross subsidies and stranded costs, whose burden cannot be passed on to the foreign buyers of Pakistani textile products.