The All Pakistan Textile Mills Association (Aptma) has launched a media campaign against the government’s policies, particularly on the exchange rate. The central point of the campaign is a veiled threat of shutting down industries in Punjab – the stronghold of the ruling party.
In order to avoid unrest in Punjab during the peak summer season, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has constituted a cabinet panel to resolve issues. Central and southern Punjab are facing more than 12-hour-a-day load shedding after a sudden surge in demand due to rising temperatures. This has once again started affecting industries in Punjab.
Aptma feels the revaluation of the rupee has caused losses and that the energy crisis has also forced it to lay off employees. The appreciation of the currency has made the country’s exports uncompetitive.
Aptma is the premier national trade association of the textile spinning, weaving, and composite mills representing the organized sector in Pakistan. It represents 396 textile mills out of which 315 are spinning, 44 weaving and 37 composite units. These spinning mills have production facilities of texturing, mercerizing and dyeing of yarns; weaving mills have a sizeable number of air-jet looms, and the composite mills have manufacturing facilities from spinning to finished textile products under one roof.
www.aptma.org.pk/
