ISLAMABAD, July 4: The Ministry of Textile Industry wants the textile sector to be totally exempted from electricity and gas load-shedding.

Seeking complete exemption from loadshedding for the sector and making a demand for freezing power tariff for at least for six months, along with changes in rates of duties, officials told the National Assembly Standing Committee on Textile Industry here on Wednesday, that special attention was needed for the textile industry as it was the base-line of national economy and textile exporters are the biggest stakeholders in foreign exchange earnings.

The standing committee was informed that some 3,000MW had been added in the system, but overall demand was rising between 8 and 10 per cent annually, creating a huge mismatch between demand and supply.

Briefing the standing committee, officials of the textile industry ministry said that there was a need to keep the wheels of this industry running to generate employment and promote exports. The committee, chaired by Haji Mohammad Akram Ansari, expressed its dismay over absence of the senior management of the Karachi Electric Supply Company from the meeting despite repeated reminders to them for attending the meeting.

The committee also discussed issues faced by trade bodies in the textile sector.

Pakistan Apparel Forum representative Mohammad Javed told the committee that KESC had started disconnecting power connections to those textile units which use captive power facility.

Mr Javed said that when they approached Nepra, decision was made in favour of textile units, but KESC obtained a stay and continues to disconnect power connections, while a large number of them have been served disconnection notices.

Abdul Rashid Godil said that power lines are the same for textile units and commercial and residential consumers in the area.

However, the committee was assured that estimated cost of separation of textile feeders would be presented in next meeting of the committee.

The standing committee also decided to invite the Chairman of Federal Board of Revenue to resolve the issue of bringing the sizing and power looms into GST net.

During the meeting, Haleem Aslam Malik, Chairman Textile Sizing Association of Pakistan, informed the committee that FBR had earlier issued SRO 238 to impose tax on local sales of textile sector, 6 per cent GST on spinning sector and 4 per cent GST on processing sector.