Prolonged power outage is adversely hitting the industrial sector and trade activities of this export-oriented city and hub of cottage industry of the country resultantly the productivity and trading has become standstill. 18 to 20 hours load shedding has created multifarious problems for common man and people are facing serious hardship in getting drinking water owing to non-functioning of tube-wells.
Apart from this the street crime graph increasing with every passing day due to prolonged load shedding which is also posing threats of wide unemployment. The prevailing hot spell has doubled the miseries of people because the consumption of water and ice has been increased to many folds and consumers are purchasing ice at high cost of Rs 100 per kg in Sialkot but nobody dare to check this. Furthermore, the production of foreign orders has been stopped in most the factories due to non-availability of electricity and as mark of protest Markazi Anjuman-e-Tajiran stage sit-in as mark of protest against load shedding at Chowk Allama Iqbal.
Sialkot is earning US 1.5 billon dollars through its export annually and strengthening the national exchequer as well as providing employment opportunities to thousands workers including women folk. Apart from this manufacturers as well as poor segment of the society are confronting with grim economic constrains but it is very unfortunate the concerned quarters are ignoring this highly sensitive issue.
The industrial sector of any country has always played an instrumental role not only earning foreign exchange for strengthening the economy but also providing job opportunities to the skilled and educated persons. In this modern era, which is an epoch of economic war, most the countries are providing concessions and incentives to their industrial sectors just to keep the economic wheel in top gear but unlikely in Pakistan the picture is very bleak and totally against as compared to the other countries because everyday the imposition of taxes and increase in petroleum and electricity prices had become a permanent feature. A nation should export more then its imports and by virtue of this philosophy the business depends a lot on finding more avenues. Under prevailing situation one can easily assess that the industrial sector of the country is moving ahead without any line of action because nobody especially exporters and manufacturers are exploiting their own resources and interactions for fetching foreign exchange for the country.
Local industrial sector is facing load shedding 18 to 20 hours daily as a result of which the production of exportable products is at lowest ebb and exporters and manufacturers are confronting with mental torture and financial constrains because they are failed in completing foreign orders in stipulated period. Furthermore the foreign buyers are reluctant new orders to the Pakistani exporters and manufacturers due to uncertain condition of electricity in Pakistan.
Most of the key buyers are considering shifting their businesses from Pakistan, which will be a serious blow to national economy and ultimately Pakistan will lose international market. Sialkot is known globally for producing value-added and standard products but the government has failed in taking remedial measures for protecting the industry from load shedding. In order to avoid crippling of industrial sector there is an immediate need of providing inexpensive electricity to the industry as well as to minimise the growing miseries of the poor segment of the society.
Despite of long load shedding Wapda is receiving full electricity charges from the consumers, which is an unjust. The prolonged load shedding is also affecting the small businessmen and persons working on daily wages besides hospitals, clinics, tailoring shops and many other sectors are directly under the clutches of electricity load shedding and patients, customers and general public was facing hardships.
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