The government should make utmost efforts to ensure completion of Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline project for unhindered supply of gas to power production and industrial units, ending loadshedding and helping industry to utilise its full capacity, said Mahfooz Elahi, President, Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI), here on Monday.
"On Iranian side about 1000-km of the pipeline has been laid, whereas, work on about 200-km is pending, but on Pakistan side work on the project must be expedited for early connectivity of the gas pipeline with Iran," Elahi said while talking to a delegation of industrialists, who called on him at his office.
He voiced concern over unprecedented power outages, saying that it has created serious problems for the industrial sector of the country. The industries are running below the required level and the government has not made any serious move to overcome the growing electricity shortfall, resulting in a slowdown of economic activity throughout Pakistan, he added.
Mismanagement and non-utilisation of available resources have put the business community and general public in huge problem because of unscheduled load management plans, Elahi said. "The situation is going bad to worse, as a result of poor planning and false promises with the nation and if quick remedial measures were not adopted the industrial sector will collapse," he maintained.
The ICCI President said many businesses are dependent on electricity, but unfortunately prolonged loadshedding has negatively impacted their businesses and it has become difficult for them to even survive in high inflationary environment. Citing steel bar manufacturing industry, which is badly affected, he said gas is curtailed for three days a week, whereas, for remaining four days the industry faces unscheduled electric power cuts. This kind of mismanagement must be ended, he emphasised.
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