HYDERABAD: President Hyderabad Chamber of Small Traders & Small Industry, Muhammad Farooq Shaikhani highlighted the gas shortage crisis in Pakistan, attributing it to the imprudent policies of inexperienced economic experts and inefficient gas department officers.
Despite Pakistan being the most self-sufficient in gas among Asian countries, he stated that Pakistan imports natural gas less in comparison with the other countries in the Asia but even industries have to face severe gas load shedding with a hike in gas prices after every second month.
Shaikhani pointed out a contradiction in the government’s actions, stating that while claiming to distribute billions in the name of a Ramadan package for political gain, they are simultaneously adversely affecting traders and the general population by repeatedly raising gas and electricity prices in recent months. This, he emphasised, has resulted in the forced withdrawal of trillions of rupees from the economy.
He highlighted that SSGC provides gas for only 15 out of 24 hours per day and the pressure is consistently low. He expressed the concern that according to the notification issued for the general public Gas will be supplied only 13 hours out of 24 hours during the Month of Ramadan. Additionally, he criticized the manipulation of statistics, alleging that through arbitrary practices, bills ranging from 10 to 12 thousand are being collected under the guise of such irregular services.
According to Shaikhani, the surge in gas prices and the implementation of load shedding has not only impacted domestic consumers but has also pushed numerous industries in Hyderabad city, including the world’s second-largest glass bangle industry, to the verge of collapse. This dire situation has resulted in the unemployment of hundreds of thousands of individuals.
It has been asserted that the issue of gas theft and wastage persists within the country’s two gas companies, Sui Southern Gas Company and Sui Northern Gas Company Limited, due to the incompetence and irresponsibility of their officers. The circular debt in the gas sector reached 2100 billion rupees in the last fiscal year and the entire burden is allegedly being transferred to traders and the public in the form of expensive gas, attributed it to the dictated imposed by the IMF.
Shaikhani appealed to the newly elected Prime Minister, Mian Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif to order an immediate reduction in gas prices and ensuring an uninterrupted supply to industries.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2024
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