FAISALABAD: Commerce and Textile State Minister Haji Muhammad Akram Ansari said on Saturday that short and long-term remedial strategies would be evolved to improve the textile sector.
Addressing a function at Faisalabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FCCI), he asked all stakeholders to submit their proposals within a week.
He said that a few years ago, the textile sector was facing problems like high mark-up, power and gas load-shedding, etc; however, now most of these issues have been resolved, but new types of problems have surfaced including the high cost of doing business and delay in payment of refund claims.
He said that being an elected member of the National Assembly, he had been advocating for the textile sector but now the responsibility to redress their genuine grievances had directly been entrusted to him and he sincerely intended to resolve those issues as soon as possible.
He requested FCCI President Mohammad Saeed to form a committee of all stakeholders to give their proposals, which would be presented before Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi.
Regarding refund of sales tax, customs and income tax, he said that there was no second opinion on that and it was the right of exporters and which they would get them as soon as possible.
He said that cabinet meeting is scheduled to be held on Tuesday in which he would try to talk to the PM regarding Rs 180 billion textile package and issuance of a notification for the release of remaining Rs 120 billion for the period from July 1, 2017, to June 30, 2018.
He said that he would also request him to provide the relief without any condition of 10 per cent increase in existing export of the claimants. He also promised to take up the issue of difference in gas prices for Punjab and Sindh with the ministries concerned.
Earlier, President FCCI Engineer Mohammad Saeed Sheikh, in his welcome address, congratulated Haji Akram Ansari on assuming the office of the textile ministry. He also explained in detail the problems being faced by the textile sector and requested the FCCI president to constitute a 9-member committee. The committee will represent all sectors of textile and will have daily meetings to finalise its final proposals within a week.
Later, the FCCI president presented a shield to the state minister.
