Staff Reporter

KARACHI: The Chairman, Pakistan Apparel Forum, Muhammad Jawed Bilwani, requested to the Prime Minister to continue regionally competitive energy tariff, also fix other utility tariffs (power & water), fix exchange rates of USD & Euro to import raw materials to manufacture goods meant for exports in order to negotiate new export orders by export-oriented industries for sustainability and enhancement of exports.

He said Pakistan Apparel Forum represents Knitwear/ Hosiery, Woven Garments, Textile made-ups (excluding bed wear& towel) and Apparel collectively contributing to textile export worth USD 8.9 Billion (11 months of FY2021-22) which contributes to 51 percent of total textile exports and 31 percent of national exports. Whereas, the Value-Added Textile Export industries provide 41 percent urban employment. More than 40 allied industries are also associated with the Value-Added Textile Export industries.

Jawed Bilwani said that Textile Exporters provide them an enabling environment to compete regionally and globally by reducing and bringing at par the cost of manufacturing with the regional competing countries. In this connection, continuation of competitive energy tariff is highly inevitable and crucial for the sustainability and enhancement of exports. Further, the utility tariff (power and water) as well as the exchange rates of US Dollar and Euros should also be fixed for exporters with regards to import of export-industries to manufacture goods meant for export. Due to this uncertainty Exporters are feeling high unrest as they are unable to negotiate new export orders due to extreme uncertainty with regards to cost of manufacturing to produce export goods.