Hours-long loadshedding in industrial areas: Rauf assures industrialists to take up issue with Governor, chief minister

Sindh Minister for Industries and Commerce Rauf Siddiqui has assured industrialists that the issue of hours-long load shedding and non attendance of complaints regarding power failure by Karachi Eclectic Supply Company (KESC) would be taken up with Governor and Chief Minister Sindh.
He was speaking at an emergency meeting of Site Association of Industry (SAI) on Friday, which was convened to discuss power crisis and KESC's announcement of 10-hour load shedding in industrial areas. Expressing concern over the attitude of the KESC management, the minister said that it was a very serious issue and must be resolved on priority basis to save the industry.
He said closure of industries due to load shedding not only affect production but also create problems in fulfilling the foreign and local orders on time, which damages Pakistan reputation in the eyes of importers. He said if the KESC has any issue it must discuss it with the stakeholders and decided load shedding's schedule in consultation with the representatives of industrial bodies.
He said that the country was already facing serious economic crisis and law and order. In such a situation, non-availability of power will ruin the industry. Advisor to Chief Minister Sindh on Investment Zubair Motiwala pointed out that there was an understanding that KESC would not carry out load shedding in industrial areas as long as it is getting 180 MMCFG gas.
He said the SSGC was supplying gas as per the understanding and there was no justification to carry out load shedding in industrial areas. He warned KESC to discontinue load shedding and rectify all cable faults, and defects in transmission and distribution lines within 24 hours, otherwise the industrialists would hold another meeting and decided future line of action.
He pointed out that KESC was getting 650 MW power from WAPDA and PSO had increased 30 days credit line to 90 days, but yet the utility was carry out load shedding on one or the other pretext. Chairman SAI Abdul Wahab Lakhani lashed out at KESC management, accusing it of deliberately harassing industrialists by carrying out hours-long load shedding.
He said that he had invited KESC management to attend the meeting but no one bother to attend the meeting and explain about the power outages and load shedding. He said that KESC had enough furnace oil and accused it of deliberately creating furnace oil issue to prompt industrialists to react and pressure government to provide furnace oil on discount rates to KESC.
Former Chairman SAI Nisar Shekhani said that the KESC was at the verge of collapse. It has mortgaged its properties and owes huge amount to SSGC, PSO and other institutions. He said about 65 per cent generation units of KESC were gas-based, adding that KESC is getting 180 MMCFG gas as per the supply commitment. He said industries were facing financial losses due to closure of industrious owing to load shedding and they have no finances to discharge their liabilities, pay KESC bills and fulfil local and foreign orders.