APTMA for timely clearance of cotton bales from Karachi Port.

LAHORE -- All Pakistan Textile Mills Association (APTMA) chairman Hamid Zaman on Thursday demanded of the government to allow timely clearance of imported cotton which had already been reached at Karachi Port.

In a discussion programme of Lahore Economic Journalist Association (LEJA) here at APTMA House, he added that proper measures should be taken for timely clearance of textile consignments.

In his opening note, LEJA President Sudhir Chaudhry elaborated the objective of the Discussion Programmes with the stakeholders. APTMA Senior Vice Chairman Kamran Arshad, Vice Chairman Asad Shafi were also present.

Zaman argued that textile industry would fail to achieve the export target of USD 25 billion this year due to non-availability of raw materials, mainly the raw cotton. He said this year textile exports would be limited to 16 or 17 billion dollars.

Hamid Zaman mentioned, "The textile industry imports raw cotton and after value addition, exports it at four times to the imported value. Thus, the government should allow exporters to import 35 percent of the export value, but if things are not controlled, seven million people associated with the textile industry would be rendered unemployed this month."

The industry had raw material stock of only two months, and if timely clearance of already arrived cotton was not started from the port, the entire textile industry would close down by March end, thus leaving 25 million individuals jobless, he added.

A number of textile units in Punjab, KPK and Sindh had already been completely or partially...

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