FAISALABAD: The Pakistan Textile Exporters Association (PTEA) has expressed grave concern over sluggish growth in exports as unending export downfall has continued unabated. High cost of production, competitiveness, inconsistency in government policies and uncompetitive energy prices have contributed to this crisis-like situation. In a statement on Thursday, Chairman Pakistan Textile Exporters Association Mian Ajmal Farooq said that economy’s mainstay textile industry is facing unprecedented crisis since many years. Consequently, sizeable textile capacity had been severely impaired and textile exports, both in quantity and value terms had declined across the value chain; whereas regional peers have doubled their exports. Giving details he said that country’s textile exports were USD 13.8 billion in 2010-11 which has been dropped by 10.4% to USD 12.4 billion in 2016-17. On other hand, textile exports of India witnessed 31% increase from USD 27.7 billion in 2010-11 to USD 36.4 billion in 2016-17. Similarly, in Bangladesh textile exports jumped to USD 31 billion in 2016-17 against USD 19 billion in 2010-11 with positive growth of 63%. In Sri Lanka, textile exports were USD 4.1 billion in 2010-11 which rose to USD 4.9 billion in 2016-17 with an increase of 20%. Unfortunately, Government has not feeling the undeniable pain of the fall in export earnings as sliding exports are contributing significantly to the trade deficit, he said. He termed the erosion of textile industry’s competitiveness as major factor behind the downfall, particularly against the huge incentives being provided by the competing countries to their export sectors. Published in Daily Times, August 18th 2017.