Work on energy projects: PIAF urges government to take private sector on board

Pakistan Industrial and Traders Associations Front (PIAF) has urged the government to take the private sector on board on pace of work on energy projects because their completion is directly linked to local and foreign investment in the country. PIAF Chairman, Malik Tahir Javaid was talking to a group of industrialists called on him to register their complaints about the unavailability of gas. He said the shortage of gas and electricity has not only affected the local investments but also sent a negative signal abroad.
He said that there was a time when the foreign investors were used to come to Pakistan to have first-hand knowledge about available business opportunities but now the situation has changed. Javaid said that it was very unfortunate that the previous government did not complete a single energy project in its whole five year tenure. He said that the May 11, 2013, general elections gave new hopes to the business community but all the hopes dashed after the political uncertainty witnessed in recent months.
He said that Pakistan-Iran gas pipeline project was a ray of hope but the government's silence over this huge project of mega national importance had also affected Pakistan's economic growth. He said that the government's failure to ensure supply of gas to the industrial sector would entail flight of capital from the country therefore the government should take the private sector into the confidence over the pace of work on all national energy projects.
He said that at a time when the neighbouring countries were working on high tech products, we in Pakistan are talking of shortage of energy and load-shedding and in these circumstances thinking of foreign investment would be day dreaming. The PIAF Chairman also urged the Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Chief Minister Punjab Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif to expedite work on solar projects initiated by the provincial government with the help of China.
He said that all the segments of the society would have to join their heads to find out the solution to the ongoing challenges in the larger interests of the country and if due attention is not given immediately, the economy would take years on years to get back on rails.