The Pakistan Industrial Association Front (PIAF) has said that National Energy Conference should have given long-term solutions to the aggravating energy crisis.
In their joint reaction on the outcome of the Energy Conference, PIAF Chairman Sohail Lashari, Chairman Lahore Township Industries Association Iftikhar Bashir Chaudhry and Chairman Autoparts Manufacturers and Exporters Association Tahir Javed Malik said that the decisions like closure of markets at 8 pm, electricity suspension to the neon-signs and two weekly holidays in the government departments would not help in bridging gap between demand and supply of electricity. Two weekly holidays would create more hurdles for the trade and industry.
They said that two weekly holidays would hamper business activities and badly affect economy as banks and other concerned government departments would remain closed for two days. They said that two holidays would add to their problems. The export oriented industry would suffer badly as it would have to wait for two days for their necessary documents, they said.
"It would be better if government puts off the idea of two weekly holidays," they added. They said that the government has failed to complete any project for sufficient and cheap power generation in the country. Despite a strong opposition by the private sector, the government generated power from rental power projects that had jacked up the cost of Pakistani products. They said that Kalabagh dam was a project of national importance but the government shelved the project with a one stroke of pen.
The business community leaders said that the government should evolve a long strategy to fix the energy crisis. "The government should allocate sufficient funds for the construction of large water reservoirs in the upcoming federation budget otherwise days are not far when India would provide water on his own terms and conditions," they said. They urged the government to complete the ongoing energy projects including Thar coal and Diamer Bhasha dam on a war footing.