Industrial units: FCCI President concerned over non-supply of gas

Engineer Muhammad Saeed Sheikh, President Faisalabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FCCI) has expressed concern over gas closure for industrial units from November 15 and demanded to allocate as per previous practice of minimum life saving quota for the textile processing units during the current winter season.
Commenting on the complaints lodged to FCCI against gas closure, he said that gas is the most important fuel for the processing industry and without it not even a single yard of cloth could be processed. He said that SNGPL has announced gas closure without taking the stake holders into confidence. He said that sudden closure will not only increase unemployment but also affect the national exports that has already recorded 11 percent decline during 1st quarter of this fiscal. He said that the business community was constantly demanding that before taking such drastic measures the government and its allied departments should consult the concerned quarters but they have continued the practice of making unilateral decisions.
He said that such decisions despite of its importance or urgency can create distrust among the business community which is also detrimental to the national economy. Eng. Muhammad Saeed Sheikh claimed that with consultation, we could easily resolve the problematic issues in according to the ground realities. Moreover, such mutual decisions are also imperative for the political sanctity and stability of the government that had claimed last year that the industrial sector will get uninterrupted gas from this year, he added.
He made a humble appeal to the Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, Chief Minister of Punjab Shahbaz Sharif and Shahid Khaqan Abbasi Federal Minister for Petroleum and Natural Resources to immediately intervene and direct SNGPL to provide gas to the industrial units.