Power, gas shortages: industries utilised less than 50 percent capacity throughout month: SAI

Chairman Site Association of Industry (SAI), Mohammad Irfan Moton has claimed that industrial units utilised less than 50 percent production capacity throughout the month due to 8 to 12 hours load shedding and non availability of gas in industrial areas of the city.
Talking to Business Recorder, he said cost of manufacturing has registered tremendous increase due to under capacity operation of units and added that any increase in gas or electricity tariff would have a killing effect on the industries. This will cause decline in trade and economy and will also lead to massive unemployment.
Mohammad Irfan Moton said entire industrial units depending on gas remain closed on Saturday due to low gas pressure in this industrial estate. He further mentioned that Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC) has advised industrialists to keep their units closed on Sunday December 25 to save 250 MMCFD gas. They assured that they will maintain full pressure in industrial areas from Monday to Saturday if all units remain closed on Sunday.
The chairman pointed out that a number of industrial units in industrial areas where as pressure was normal remain opined on last Sunday due to which SSGC managed to save only 140 MMCFD gas instead of 250 MMCFD. Chairman, North Karachi Association of Trade and Industry (NKATI), Abdul Rasheed Fodderwala said that due to ongoing 12 hours load shedding and non- availability of gas has already increased cost of production by 15 percent. Increase in gas tariff by 14 percent from January first will have an impact of 4 percent of cost of manufacturing totalling of both comes to 18 percent.
He said on one hand government neither has gas nor electricity to keep industrial units operating and on the other hand increases tariff of gas and power frequently. He said it looks like that the government is focusing to generate all revenue through public utilities instead of planning properly He said industries in this industrial area remain closed on Saturday due to low gas pressure and 12 hours' long load shedding.
He expressed serious concern over the statement of Federal Minister for Petroleum, Dr Asim Husan in which he hinted further drop in gas supply to industries in January 2012 which will give a deadly blow to the entire industrial sector that was already fighting for its survival due to an acute shortage of electricity and gas.
Chairman, Korangi Association of Trade and Industry (KATI), Ehtishamuddin said that no complaint of low gas pressure was received from any part of this industrial area. He said Karachi Electric Supply Company (KESC) has reduced load shedding from 12 hours to 8 hours.