KATI demands uninterrupted power supply to operate units
N H ZUBERI
KARACHI: An emergency meeting of all industrial town associations of the city was held at Korangi Association of Trade and Industry (KATI) on Monday to discuss 12 hours' long power load shedding issue and work out further line of action.
The participants were of the view that neither gas short supply to Karachi Electric Supply Company (KESC) nor non-payment of outstanding dues of Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC) are their concern and they emphasised that they must get uninterrupted power supply to operate industrial units smoothly.
Chairman KATI Ehtishamuddin said that they have decided to hold a joint press conference on Tuesday and announced their future line of action
Participants in the meeting claimed that they are suffering huge production losses and labour including workers on daily wages used to sit idle; they have no work to be carried out owing to 12-hour long load shedding. It is crating unrest among daily wagers.
The industrial sector has expressed concern over KESC's behaviour and making no more to improve power supply on one pretext or the other
Industrialists have lashed out over increase in load shedding duration from 8 hours to 12 hours in industrial areas which will certainly have serious negative impact on industrial production They expressed fear that the city will face short supply of esthetical goods like edible oil, Atta, morning bred, spices and many, many other things.
In all the five industrial estates industrial units operated with extreme deplete production capacity thus reversing all government and private sectors' efforts to rejuvenate economic activity in the country.
The industrialists said that they were unable to understand as to how the government would be able to meet export target, bring down unemployment graph and collect revenues when it has failed to direct Karachi Elected Supply Company (KESC) to ensure uninterrupted electricity supply in industrial areas.
Chairman Federal B Area Association of Trade and Industry (FBAATI), Masroor Alvi said that Persisting long hour load shedding has paralysed activities in the city
He said that KESC carrying out 12 hours load shedding in a way that is creating circumstances to make production activities totally impossible.
He said it is general practice of KESC to harass industrialists and use them as a tool to pressurise government to fulfil their demands.
He said if uninterrupted electricity supply was not ensured forthwith, nobody would be able to execute export orders well in time thus hitting the future exports hard. When foreign buyers would not get their order in time, they definitely would be turning to other countries next time so the government should understand the gravity of the situation and issue necessary directions to stop load shedding
Chairman Site Association of Industry (SAI), Mohammad Irfan Moto said that 12 hours' long load shedding in industrial areas of the city has created enormous problems for industrialists to keep their units operative and meet export commitments as well as delivery of goods in local markets on time and keep industrial wheels moving smoothly.
He said that that electricity breaks down and load shedding has caused heavy damage to the industrial sector
Meanwhile in a joint statement, Siraj Kassam Teli, Chairman BMG Group and former President Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI), Mian Abrar Ahmed President Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Younus Muhammad Bashir, Senior Vice-President, Zia Ahmed Khan, Vice-President of KCCI have expressed their deep concern over persistent load shedding in industrial areas which now prolonged to 12 hours from 8 hours. KCCI leadership severely criticised KESC and it mismanagement that cause catastrophic loss to industry economy and employment. They said if such attitude continued soon industry will be closed down and huge unemployment would be witnessed. They further said if government remained silent spectator and did not intervene then the situation would be worsened and will lead to volcanic shocks and tremors to Industry and Trade. .In such a highly global competitive atmosphere where economic price gives you competitive edge, but rising cost in the situation like this will make Pakistani products uncompetitive in the international markets. KCCI leadership appealed to President of Pakistan Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister of Pakistan Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani, Dr. Asim Hussain, Minister for Petroleum and Natural Resources to intervene in the matter and resolve the circular debt issue that uninterrupted supply of electricity could be made possible to industry to enable it to continuously play its role in trade particularly export enhancement.