Outages badly affect production of apparel sector: Bilwani

The country's giant apparel textile sector is worried over a steep decline in production from electricity load shedding in industrial zones of the city. Electric power remains cut-off for up to eight hours across the city's industrial areas including SITE, Korangi, Federal B Area, North Karachi and Landhi, chairman Pakistan Apparel Forum (PAF), Javed Bilwani, said on Wednesday, condemning the unannounced power load-shedding.
Expressing reservation, he said, Karachi is the highest taxpayer city but suffers the utmost power cuts that scale back industrial outputs. He said the load shedding plagued the industrial zones of Karachi after ruining residential parts. "Load shedding in industrial areas of other cities of Pakistan is less than 7 to 8 hours," Bilwani, who is also chief co-ordinator of Karachi Industrial Forum, saying that the federal government continues to remain in a state of denial that there was no load-shedding in the industrial areas.
He said that the industries are off for a full shift of operation, as productions have scaled down by 40 percent. "It will hamper the export efficiency and will also widen trade deficit," he showed concerns. Pakistan's economy is feared to suffer if Karachi's industries are disturbed, he said, "Karachi is the financial and industrial hub of Pakistan. Karachi's industries are providing employment to around 3 million labour force and citizens directly."
With worries, he forecast, the ultimate downsizing in labourers across the industries of the metropolis, which provide financial support through jobs over 10 million families, alone. Karachi generates 54 percent revenue through direct taxes to the country's exchequer and 95 percent to Sindh. Industries of Karachi also contribute 40 percent to the total national exports, he said.
"Discriminatory behaviour with largest tax-generator and taxpayer city is highly deplorable," he said, adding that "we cannot afford the industry to suffer any kind of load shedding, which causes heavy losses to business and industrial community and government exchequer, which ultimately will create labour unrest and law and order situation."
Bilwani urged the federal and provincial governments to intervene in the issue of load shedding to save Karachi and its industries, which provide highest employment and generate highest revenue; otherwise Pakistan's economy will suffer irreparable loss. "Power load-shedding to the industries of Karachi which pays 100 percent electricity charges is highly unjustified; government is required to take notice of inoperative power generation units, make them operative to produce electricity with full capacity and ensure uninterrupted electricity supply to the industries and Karachiites," he said.