Apparel Online India Magazine June 1st Issue 2018 | Page 26

TEX-FILE HAVE YOUR SAY BREAKING NEWS Tell us your news by emailing at [email protected] To read the latest sustainability news, go to https://apparelresources.com/business-news/sustainability/  Textile mills in Surat report 40% decline in finished fabric manufacturing Sluggish market and money crisis have reportedly resulted in at least 40 per cent decline in the production of finished fabrics at textile processing units in the Indian textile hub, Surat. The decline in production has been majorly reported in the last fortnight. “A serious shortage of cash rotation in the market has led to this griming situation,” South Gujarat Textile Processors’ Association (SGTPA) President Jitu Vakharia was quoted as saying by Times of India. Notably, the negative impact of GST has hit the sector the most. Since the implementation of the new taxation system, the industry has reported a 30 per cent hike in the cost of raw materials needed for the processing of grey fabrics. In addition to the price rise of raw materials, the industry players were forced to announce the wage hike for textile workers on Labour Day. Adding to that, the absence of workers (who are on leave due to personal reasons) has also impacted the productivity. Those working overtime are seeking wage hike as they are supposed to meet production targets. The reports claim that the severe liquidity due to delay in payments of almost 100 days and the decline in fabric demand have also added to the woes of manufacturers. The unit owners do not have enough cash to pay wages to the workers. Textile Ministry holds meet for smooth execution of its new scheme To apprise the industry stakeholders on the guidelines and significance of the recently launched scheme – ‘Samarth’, a meeting was organised in New Delhi. This is a Government inititative to skill the youth of the country and make them employable in the textile industry. In the meeting, Union Minister of Textile Smriti Irani, Minister of State for Textiles Ajay Tamta and Secretary, Textiles Anant Kumar Singh explained the industry players about the pros of the scheme and addressed their issues as well. Senior executives of Textile Ministry, representatives of textile industry and State Governments’ officials, along with top brass of institutions and organisations under the Ministry, attended the meet. 26 Apparel Online India | JUNE