By SKM
January 1, 2026
ISLAMABAD: The All Pakistan Textile Mills Association (APTMA) has called on the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) to implement video analytics at the ginning stage of the cotton supply chain, saying this is the critical point where undocumented cotton, or “gol maal,” enters the market.
In a letter to FBR Chairman Rashid Mahmood Langrial dated December 31, 2025, APTMA highlighted a significant gap in cotton production reporting, pointing to data from the Punjab Crop Reporting Service (CRS) and the Pakistan Cotton Ginners’ Association (PCGA). While CRS estimated Punjab’s provisional cotton output for 2025–26 at 3.81 million bales, only 2.45 million bales were reported at ginneries—a discrepancy of 1.35 million bales in Punjab alone.
The association stressed that spinning mills only process documented cotton, making surveillance at this intermediary stage ineffective. “The only solution to curb undocumented cotton is mandatory monitoring and a national cotton traceability system at the ginning stage,” APTMA said, reiterating recommendations previously submitted to the Ministry of Commerce, Ministry of National Food Security & Research, and FBR.
APTMA urged that STGO No. 08/2025, which focuses on spinning mills, be withdrawn and replaced with a procedure that enforces traceability and compliance at the ginning level, ensuring transparency, accountability, and fiscal integrity in the textile sector.Ends
