Pakistan Industrial & Traders Associations Front (PIAF) has strongly criticised increase in the electricity and gas tariff and urged the government to withdraw the decision, otherwise, it would prove last straw on camel's back.
PIAF Chairman, Sohail Lashari, in a statement on Thursday said Nepra is playing anti-business and people role by allowing power distribution companies to raise their tariffs without keeping in view ground realities, economic crisis and trouble being faced by the industrial sector.
He said that present regime has not only utterly failed in resolving the problems of business community, but has multiplied them. He alleged that the request of distribution companies for electricity tariff hike and Nepra's hearing are pre-planned and an attempt to hoodwink the nation.
Lashari said that energy is the main source of development and electricity prices are highly correlated with economic growth, saying increase in electricity tariff would give big blow to the industrial sector. He noted that the country is facing a huge energy deficit since last few years; prolonged load-shedding has crippled its activities, thousands of units have closed down or relocated while millions of workers have lost their jobs. However, instead of initiating any mega power project to generate cheap electricity, government is playing the role of a silent spectator and allowing 'blood-sucking Nepra to play havoc with trade and industry'.
He pointed out that electricity tariff in Pakistan is already very high and posing massive challenges for the industrial sector. He feared that with the increase of rupees 1.7 per unit in the tariff, industrial production cost would further rise and export oriented industries would face difficulties to compete in the international market with competitors like China, India and Bangladesh who are caring their industries 'like beloved kids'.
PIAF chairman warned that the hike in electricity tariff would badly affect the agriculture sector of Pakistan, which is the backbone of our economy and feeding more than 70 percent of the population. He said that instead of cutting-off lavish expenditure, government is continuously increasing energy prices 'on the direction of International Monetary Fund (IMF). He said that Nepra is playing the role of 'IMF agent' in Pakistan where the poverty level is far down international standards. Persistent hike in energy prices is making Pakistani industry uncompetitive, he added.