VAT issue, power and gas outages: agitation gaining momentum in southern Punjab

Agitation against value-added tax, electricity and gas outages is gaining momentum in southern Punjab as industries in the zone believe that discriminatory gas and electricity loadshedding is responsible for their losing competitiveness to industries in the rest of the country.
Industries' representatives claim that gas and power outages in southern Punjab had crippled the industry. They said that gas and electricity outages were more frequent and of longer duration than in the rest of the country. Small Traders Alliance, Trade Chamber, Markazi Anjuman Tajiran, Pakistan Chemists and Druggists Association, Industrial Estate Association and power looms association observed complete strike on April 14 in southern Punjab.
They protested against unscheduled power outages and high-handedness of SNGPL officials for using non-transparent and unethical means to cut gas connections. The drive against introduction of VAT, unscheduled power disruptions and unusual shortage of gas during summer started last week in this zone.
They regretted that the duration of electricity disruptions in Islamabad was two to three hours while all major cities of Punjab faced scheduled and unscheduled load shedding of 12-14 hours while smaller towns and villages were without power for 18 to 20 hours.
They also pointed out that gas supply to industries in Sindh was normal even during winter while gas to industries in Punjab until this year was cut for three months. This year, they said, gas rationing continued in the province when the average temperature was 40 degrees Celsius. This, they added, had ruined productive sectors of the province. The chambers gave one week to the government to rationalise its power and energy supplies in a fair manner failing which they said they would launch protests.
"We are left with no option as production is suffering due to mismanagement in power and gas supply," said Asrar Ahmed Awan, president of MCCI. He said that industries were currently operating at 40 to 50 percent of their installed capacity and were forced to lay off half of their workforce. He said that industries in southern Punjab want that power and gas shortfall be equally shared by all provinces. He said it was unfair to deprive southern Punjab of power and gas.