STAFF REPORT IBD: The National Assembly Standing Committee on Commerce and Textiles has been informed that despite many experiments based on international and national research, the cotton production is constant at 13 million bales to 15 million bales since the last five years.
Textile Secretary Rukhsana Shah briefed the committee that the textile sector in the country represents a complete value chain and has 35,000 shuttle less looms, 350,000 power looms and 18,000 knitting machines.
She said that Generalised System of Preferences (GSP) Plus facilitation committee should be formed in the country. The NA body proposed to induct parliamentarians into the committee. She said that the ministry would organise seminars in the country to give awareness about GSP Plus status.
The standing committee asked that quota system should be imposed for export of cotton from the country to fix the volume of export.
The textile secretary informed that in the last five years under textile financing plan Rs 26.7 billion has been provided to the ministry while total amount is Rs 188 billion. Current year Rs 1.5 billion has been provided to the ministry.
The committee said the government should evolve a way out of gas shortage rather than to stop supply of gas to the industry.