Industrial power plants: Federal govt urged to take notice of gas supply suspension

KARACHI: Industrial community has urged the Federal Government to take immediate notice of suspension of gas supply to industrial power plants despite the assurance of Special Assistant to PM on Petroleum Nadeem Baber.

President of Korangi Association of Trade & Industry (KATI), Saleem Uz-Zaman mentioned that in a meeting of Sindh Industrial Liaison Committee held on 29th of January at Governor house SAPM on Petroleum Nadeem Baber and SAPM on Energy Tabish Gohar have assured the industrialists that moratorium on gas supply to private power plants of industry would not be applicable to those units which are not being provided electricity as per their required load, and instructed SSGC in accordance of this surety.

He said that it was also agreed that this supply would reinstate so the industrial unites will get sufficient time to acquire sufficient load and until then it can be an alternative in case of load shedding.

“However, gas supply to hundreds of industrial connection is not being reinstated and causing great lose to the industries as labour was sitting idle due to unavailability of power and many industries are not able to meet exports order deadlines and continue their production,” he added. President of KATI urged the federal government to take immediate notice of the situation and take necessary action to supply gas to industrial power plant as per its assurances and promise.

President of North Karachi Association of Trade & Industry (NKATI), Faisal Moiz Khan has urged the government to announce uninterrupted supply of energy with reduction in electricity & gas tariff for expanding the units and encourage investors. So that the country can come out of the economic crisis and exports can be boosted.

He asked the government why the gas crisis is only for Karachi. Why steps are being taken to destroy only Karachi’s industries? “Prime Minister Imran Khan should seriously consider the reason why Karachi, which is the backbone of the national economy and the heart of Pakistan, is being economically destroyed,” Faisal also asked.

He said that the anti-industry measures of the federal government have started having negative effects as a result of which the industrialists have stopped the expansion of their units and upgrading of machinery, while investors have also stopped to setup new industries. NKATI President said that although captive power plants in other provinces of Pakistan have almost run out and most of the captive power plants are in Karachi, which were suggested by the previous governments to deal with energy crisis by self-electricity generation as per the industrial production requirement and now it is being shut down.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2021