The Pakistan cotton production has been unremitting at 13 million bales to 15 million bales since the last five years, despite many experiments based on international and national research, according to informed conveyed on Thursday by The National Assembly’s (NA) Standing Committee on Commerce and Textile

The meeting of the NA’s body was held under the chairmanship of Siraj Khan.

Textile Secretary Rukhsana Shah informed 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 to given awareness about GSP plus status, the ministry would organise seminars in the country.

The standing committee has requested 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 also said that the government should evolve a way out of gas shortage rather than to stop supply of gas to the industry.

The secretary said that 29 inspection committees are working for inspection of industries but their performance is nill. Incidents are happening in the factories that shows ineligibility of these committees.

The committee was informed that during the last two year Bt cotton was cultivated without certification and for current year National Bio Safety Committee has not given certification to cottonseed for cultivation.

During the discussing of Garment City Faisalabad issues, the standing committee directed that local parliamentarians should also be taken on board for further leasing of garment cities in the country. The committee also put forward a recommendation to invite Ministry of Ports and Shipping to put an end to the property dispute between Karachi Port Trust and Pakistan Central Cotton Committee.