Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC) has decided to curtail the supply of gas to the industries located in Sindh for at least 2 days a week and accordingly notices have been issued to them. This has come as a complete shock to the industry, which is already closed on Sundays due to gas curtailment and will now have to bear further losses in the shape of a midweek shutdown.
Commenting on the two-day gas supply suspension, Tariq Saud, Chairman APTMA Sindh-Balochistan Region has said that APTMA, Sind Balochistan Region has already been appealing to the Ministry of Petroleum to advise SSGC to ensue gas supply 7 days a week to the industry located in Sindh as winter is now passed and domestic gas consumption for heating purposes in the interior is no longer required.
It is important to mention here that Sindh produces 70 percent of total gas in the country, whereas it consumes less than 40 percent, besides the Article 158 of the Constitution of Pakistan (Priority Requirements of the Natural Gas) which clearly mentions that the first right of usage of natural resources will be that of the producing provinces, this treatment is being negated to the largest gas producing province of the country, he added.
"We would like to mention that presently the textile industry is passing through very difficult times with exports down by almost 16 percent due to recessionary trends prevalent in the world. Our input costs have raised manifold and it has become impossible to remain competitive", he said. Regional Chairman APTMA said that instead of decreasing industrial input costs and helping to remain competitive in the face of regional competition, the government is bent on making it more and more difficult for us to remain viable.
"We are afraid that further gas closures will lead to higher costs and result in large scale closures and unemployment. Another major factor in higher input costs is also the levy of GIDC on gas consumption", he said. Tariq has appealed to Prime Minister, Mian Mohammad Nawaz Sharif to direct the ministries concerned not to go ahead with the gas curtailment plan and allow the industries to keep on running in the larger national interest.
"We also appeal to the Chief Minister Sindh, Syed Qaim Ali Shah to impress upon the federal government not to carry out its plan of gas curtailment, which will be a death blow for the Sindh industry", he said and added that APTMA remain committed to work in the national interest and strive to increase investment, employment and exports but for that we need a stable environment with gas and electricity so that we can keep moving forward.
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