HYDERABAD: President of Hyderabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (HCCI) Adeel Siddiqui has expressed concerns over civic infrastructure of Sindh Industrial Trading Estate (SITE) which was affecting industrial activity especially transportation of raw material to factories and industries.
He disclosed that industrialists were shifting their capital to other cities from Hyderabad due to poor civic infrastructure and other related issues affecting their industrial activities.
In a statement issued here on Sunday, Siddiqui said industrialists of Hyderabad SITE not only deal in local market but also meet export orders. He said industrialists had invested billions in their industries and they were paying regular bills for electricity, gas and other amenities. Besides, he said, these industries were source of employment for thousands.
Adeel Siddiqui regretted that due to apathy of SITE management and delay in de-silting of sewerage lines rainwater was accumulating on roads thus destroying this road infrastructure. He said that rainwater was also entering industries forcing mill and factory owners to utilize their own resources to dewater their areas.
He said SITE did not take any steps for rainwater disposal. He said many industries were facing water shortage adding that unannounced loadshedding of electricity and gas was affecting industries badly. Non-existence of street lights not only affects goods transport but movement of workers, he said.
HCCI chief said out of 1300 big or small units hardly 800 were busy in industrial production in spite of the fact that cost of production had increased manifold due to rising electricity and gas tariffs. He said that Hyderabad site is the largest area of Pakistan that was busy in assembling of automobiles until recently but now the production capacity had dropped to 60pc.
He stated that thousands were getting employment. He said many a glass bangle industry were on the verge of closure and thousands of men and women would face unemployment in these days of price hike. He said industrialists were not able to run their industries.
Siddiqui underscored the need for re-building civic infrastructure in Site area as soon as possible so for revival of industrial activity. He said government should take urgent measures in this regard. He also expressed his anguish over Site management’s performance, saying industrialists had deposited Rs2, 55, 68,000 in 2009 for getting plots in SITE Phase-II but allotment orders of plots were not yet given.
HCCI chief said had industrialists invested this amount somewhere else it would paid off. He said that industrialists should be compensated for this loss as soon as possible. He said correspondence with authorities was going on for a long time but in vain.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2022