MULTAN, Jan 23rd: Khawaja Muhammad Younus Chairman Zonal Standing Committee of FPCCI on Ancillary Textile Industry has said that electric load shedding & gas suspension has taken a huge toll over the volume of textile exports. “Despite good yield of cotton, textile exports of country could not exceed beyond $5 billion which was $5.23 during the same period last year due to the sole reason of energy shortage” he said. In a press statement issued here on Saturday He said that in the current season out of 110.18 million cotton bales produced, 10.353 millions bales were purchased by the local textile sector till 15th January 2010 while plenty of stocks are in hand. Contrary to the abundance of raw material available, dip in the export is alarming and need immediate attention of the government so that our trade deficit doesn’t touch to another record.Referring to the rising prices and shortage of yarn in the market which lead to agitation, he termed it shortage of energy in disguise of yarn. He informed that owing load shedding of electricity, entire spinning industry was paralyzed thus an artificial vacuum in the demand & supply lead to shortage & rise in the prices of yarn. “The impact of energy shortage is severe and multifaceted as at one hand it is creating problems in the supply chain of textile industry and at the other hand creating economic, social, and law & order problems” he added. He further said that though the international markets are much better now and offers growth opportunity for the Pakistan exporters but in the given the current circumstances & lack of Governments support will cease it all. Kh. Muhammad Younus said that Government must adhere to its announcements like 2% subsidy on local sale of yarn. He requested to the Government to ensure the supply of energy to the textile sector as per agreed load management schedule so that it could play its part in the development of country.