Stuck-up federal government matching grant of Rs 250 million each for infrastructure development of four industrial estates of Karachi will be released in next ten days, Sindh Minister for Industries and Commerce Rauf Siddiqui assured industrialists. He revealed this in a meeting of FB Area Association of Trade and Industry (FBAATI) held here, on Saturday.
He advised Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) of all the four industrial trading estates of the city to prepare PC-1 for utilising the grant and carrying out development work on their respective areas. He further said that the provincial government has already disbursed Rs 250 million each to four industrial estates of the city which have been utilised for the infrastructure development work, including construction of roads, water and sewerage system in North Karachi, FB Area, Korangi and Landhi.
He said that he has called a meeting with all the industrial associations and CEOs of industrial trading estates of the city to discuss future infrastructure development plans in their respective areas on next Wednesday. He also advised industrialists to make surroundings of their respective areas beautiful through tree plantation and also assured that neither any fee would be sought nor would any NOC be required in this regard.
On demand of holding meeting with Karachi Electric Supply Company (KESC) the minister lashed out at the performance of KESC and held the utility company responsible for the closure of industries in the city. Rauf Siddiqui challenged the statement of KESC that 40 percent industries are stealing electricity in the city and said that KESC should send its team to inspect the industries, along with representatives of respective industrial area association and government officials.
He said that two hours loadshedding in industrial areas has very serious negative impact on production and cost of manufacturing. The minister also held KESC responsible for damaging expensive industrial machinery, fridges and ACs in residential areas, as unannounced load shedding and power fluctuation are causes of their failure.
KESC has made the life of industrialists and general public miserable, he added Rauf Siddiqui alleged that KESC high ups have turned a deaf ear to the government advises, adding that KESC is issuing exorbitant bills. KESC high ups are not aware of public reaction and if it bursts out once it would be very serious and unmanageable, he feared. However, he assured that he would arrange a meeting of the association with KESC to discuss issues and get them resolved amicably.
Referring to demands of reducing mark-up rates, he assured that the issue would be taken up with the Governor of State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) and a meeting of the industrialists with the Governor SBP would be arranged soon in this connection. Regarding demand of reducing the ground rent of industrial plots, he said that the city government is facing serious financial problems and reducing ground rent and bringing it at par with Site area is not possible.
However, it is possible to increase the ground rent of Site Area and to bring it equal to that of FB Area. Chairman, FBAATI, Shahid Ismail said that industries are facing 40 percent less water supply than their requirement. He urged the minister to direct Karachi Water and Sewerage Board to increase water supply. He also urged the minister concerned to take up higher mark-up rate issue with the Governor SBP and try to convince him to reduce mark-up rates in new monetary policy.
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