LAHORE: The All Pakistan Textile Mills Association (APTMA)-Punjab on Friday urged the provincial government to exempt textile mills from the ongoing lockdown, subject to compliance with the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) already prescribed by the government in respect of other exempted industries and businesses. The letter further highlighted that the current lockdown also does not permit manufacturing of goods meant for shipment to overseas destinations. “The procedure in vogue is not only very cumbersome but also prone to inordinate delays.”It may be noted that the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government on March 31 had granted general exemption to the textile export industry keeping in view the importance of foreign exchange in the country’s economic viability. Similarly, the Sindh government on March 24 had formed a committee to resolve the issues of export oriented units on a day-to-day basis. “To ensure smooth operations of Punjab export industry and to bring it at par with Sindh and KP, the Punjab government may also exempt textile units from the ongoing lockdown,” the APTMA letter read.

Source: Pakistan Today April 03, 2020 13:25 UTC