Marble industry, a major source of earning foreign exchange from exports, faced Rs 150 million losses during last two months owing to unscheduled power load shedding.
Sanaullah Khan, a former chairman of All Pakistan Marble Mining/Processing Industry and Exporters Association (PMMPIEA), told Business Recorder on Tuesday that the Karachi Electric Supply Company (KESC) was carrying out 10 to 12 hours load shedding daily, causing immense financial losses to the sector, which already suffers due to inadequate resources.
He said that majority of the marble processing machinery, which are imported at great expense from Italy, have fused because of electricity fluctuation, creating difficulties for marble exporters to timely deliver consignments. He said that the industry is facing Rs 1.5 million losses daily on account of exports because of unplanned power outages. Similarly, the local marble sector is also undergoing some Rs 1 million losses daily.
Sana said that domestic consumption, which was earlier generating around Rs 1 billion per annum, depicted 50 percent decline where marble processors failed to meet the market demand owing to recurrent prolonged load shedding.
He said that electricity tariff has also been increased massively, and termed it as another chief factor for the decline in marble exports. He said that the government has increased over 30 percent electricity rates, which directly reflects on its cost. "Marble exporters are facing difficulties to compete in international market with high cost products, causing considerable decline in exports," he added.
He said that the industry has potential to achieve exports target fixed for current fiscal year by the government, but the continued electricity failure hampered its growth and was making the target as an "unachievable task". He stressed the need of eradicating illegal electricity connections (Kundas) as these are a hindrance in smooth flow of electricity, resulting in low voltage.
He said that the government had approved around Rs 4.5 million fund for upgrading electricity transmission infrastructure of the marble sector in last fiscal budget. But no positive measures have yet been taken in this connection by KESC. However, electricity bills are regularly being paid by the sector. Furthermore, he said that sincere efforts should be made to materialise the project of "Marble City", and urged the provincial government to take positive measures in this regard.
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