The South Punjab is producing more than 4,000MW electricity but its worsening power crisis and the unannounced and prolonged load-shedding have badly affected the performance of small and medium enterprises (SMEs). The small business units whose production has been affected in the wake of unannounced and prolonged load-shedding include power loom, dying, ready-made garments, small manufacturing units, Photostat machines, lathe machine, tailors, plastic molding, dry cleaners, photo studios, net cafes, fresh juice shops and others.
President of Multan Chamber of Commerce & Industry (MCCI) Khawaja Muhammad Usman has appealed to Prime Minister to help the less developed and backward areas like southern Punjab by providing them maximum electricity and natural gas so that small and medium enterprises of this zone could be developed. He said the prolonged load-shedding has also forced shopkeepers and traders to switch over to alternate arrangements like generators and uninterrupted power suppliers (UPS).
However, such an arrangement has not only increased the cost of doing business, but also that of material and products they have been dealing in. Secretary General of All Pakistan power looms association apprised that power outages ranging between six and 18 hours daily have badly affected their monthly budgets. Another small trader complained that six-hour daily load-shedding had destroyed their business activities and under such circumstance they have no option but to sit idle at their homes.
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