On the demand of leading textile industry Associations, the Federal Textile Board (FTB) is thinking of exempting the export-oriented textile sector from the provincial/local holidays in Pakistan. In a statement, the Associations said that the FTB was planning to recommend to the provincial governments for exempting the value-added textile industry from holidays in their respective notifications. The Board has further proposed to the export-oriented textile units that they should only observe holidays notified by the Federal government.

Textile industry associations had sought a reduction in the number of public holidays to bring down the cost of doing business for the export-oriented production units. The demand was raised in a meeting of the FTB held recently in the Ministry of Textile Industry under the chairmanship of Federal Minister for Commerce/Chairman FTB Khurram Dastgir. Representatives of All Pakistan Textile Mills Association (APTMA), Pakistan Readymade Garments Manufacturers and Exporters Association (PRGMEA), Pakistan Hosiery Manufacturers Association (PHMA), All Pakistan Textile Processing Mills Association (APTPMA) and Pakistan Textile Exporters Association (PTEA) among others pointed out that they paid all the taxes and banks' mark-up for the period of holidays. Despite that, majority of the factories either remain closed or operate partially after paying double overtime to the workers.