KARACHI: Aziz Ahmed, Chairman, Pakistan Tanners Association (PTA) Southern Zone has said that Sector 7-A, Korangi Industrial Area with allied areas/ sectors (Sector 15) of Chamra Mandi that play a pivotal role in export for finished leather is completely deprived of basic necessity of gas.

He said that due to non-supply of gas to this vital export-oriented sector, this continuous-processing industry is facing serious troubles, hampering the export activities that help in yielding a sizeable foreign exchange for the national exchequer. He said suspension of gas supply could bring negative consequences for cancellation of export orders that are in pipeline.

In a press release, he said that the export of finished leather had gained the pace due to hectic efforts made by PTA’s member exporters with the support of government and in the period of July-Nov’2021 they resulted in 39% growth as compared to the corresponding period. He said this momentum could only be sustained with the support of government, specially regarding un-interrupted supply of gas to this continuous processing industry.

Aziz Ahmed asked the SSGC to announce a practical load-shedding programme for the supply of gas to this vicinity, like the one already adopted by K-Electric, so that the PTA member exporters could take necessary measures for alternate mechanism for the scheduled load-shedding of gas to keep running their continuous process of finished leather with value addition smoothly with convenience.

He urged the Federal Minister for Gas & Petroleum and the bosses of SSGC to ensure supply the gas on 24/7 basis to this vital mother industry located at Sector 7-A Korangi Industrial Area and allied areas so that this major industry could be enabled to continue the process of converting raw hides & skins to most valued-added finished leather along with allied commodities for execution of export orders in time against the commitments to secure the precious foreign exchange for the country.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2022