Textile deal

With continuing hartals and instability in our country it appears the government has failed to keep an eye out and take steps to maintain an industry that provides us with 85% of our exports. This industry provides jobs to many workers. The fall of this deal would result in a reduction of our exports which will in return have an adverse affect on the employment of these individuals. Our country already has high poverty and the spread between the haves and the have-nots is getting wider by the day. In spite of all the warnings, reports from the Agence France-Presse (BBC News) reflects that the exports have already fallen by 21.34.

With a fall in sales people will lose their jobs and we will have an even higher unemployment rate. With the fall in unemployment rate and increase in poverty, our socio-economic condition will go from bad to worse. The instability that exists now will be far worse as corruption and crime will escalate due to the need to find other means of income for the thousands who are currently employed by the textile industry. Not to mention those members of the middle class society who actually managed to climb up, thanks to the opening of positions in multiple textile mills across the country.

We do not have the Multi Fibre Agreement to protect this industry. It is time the government and the leaders of this industry take notice and start working towards protecting the livelihood of so many people. We already have a budget deficit. We can't continue or afford to move further down the negative scale.