Govt urged to resolve power loadshedding issue

RECORDER REPORT

LAHORE: The Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) has expressed deep concern over the government's least interest in solving the issue of prolonged loadshedding. He urged the government to take solid and serious measures for resolving this crisis causing severe dent to the national economy.

Speaking at a function here on Monday, the LCCI Chief Irfan Qaiser Sheikh said that the present government remained fail in its tenure to provide an enable environment to the private sector which could help it to generate more revenues for the government to earn profitability and create job opportunities for the youth of the country. The Lahore Chamber repeatedly warned the government of massive lay-offs and industrial closures if it fails immediately to stop power outages but people sitting on the helm of the affairs are playing the role of silent spectators.

He added that government would not be able to control the situation triggered by the demonstrations and strikes called by the angry industrial workers against their retrenchments as a result of these power outages. The government should understand that economic well being is must for democracy. Unemployment, price-hikes and industrial closures always gives birth to lawlessness and anarchy. Therefore, the government should understand the ground realities and reset its priorities regarding provision of electricity to the industry.

He further said that the industries require continuous supply of electricity to keep the units operational and to complete the export orders as well within the given timeframe but only because of the shortage of electricity the exports are not up to the mark. Pakistan had already lost a number of global markets and the new power cuts would further aggravate the situation, he added.

The LCCI President suggested that cheaper and uninterrupted power supply is the only way to achieve economic targets set for the year 2012-13 but neither the government is sharing its future plans to this regard nor paying any heed to the difficulties being faced by the trade and industry. He said, "It's astonishing that on one hand the government circles are talking of economic stability in 2012 while on the other hand they are not sharing any kind of roadmap to achieve this goal".

The LCCI President also feared a surge in street crimes, saying that law and order situation is bound to aggravate in the coming days as continuous power shortage in the industrial estates is jacking up the graph of unemployment particularly hitting the daily wagers hard.