Industries at the Winder Industrial and Trading Estate are provided electricity by the Lasbella Industrial Development Authority (LIEDA), which buys electricity from KESC in bulk and distributes it to the industries of Winder Industrial Estate and the Hub Industrial Trading Estate.
LIEDA is charging B-3 tariff for electricity to the industries of Hub industries.
LIEDA charged Winder Industries a tariff C-2(HT) in the month of October 2003, which is the tariff for commercial purposes and not for industrial concerns. When we asked LIEDA they told us that M/s. KESC is charging them C-2(HT) tariff on the feeder which is supplying electricity to Winder Industrial and Trading Estate.
At that time, the Managing Director-LIEDA, Colonel Bashir Nadeem (R) agreed to joint efforts together with the Industrialists of Winder. This matter was brought to the notice of Riaz Abmed Tata, President of Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industries (FPCCI). With his co-ordination a meeting was held on 11th November, 2003 at the office of Managing Director, KESC, Brigadier Tariq Sadozai.
According to the agenda item, the tariff conversion problem was discussed and the Managing Director - KESC finally agreed with the view point of the Managing Director - LIEDA and the Industrialists of Winder Industrial Trading Estate. He immediately directed the concerned staff to implement the decision and convert the tariff from C-2(HT) to B-3 for the feeder supplying electricity to Winder Industrial and Trading Estate.
According to the said decision, Lasbella Industrial Development Authority started billing to the Winder Industries under the B-3 tariff, similar to the industries in Hub. After a lapse of seven months, LIEDA has again sent us the bill at the C-2(HT) tariff
On asking Lasbella Industrial Development Authority said that this authority cannot sustain loses due to the tariff difference and that the KESC has not yet implemented the decision of the Managing Director - KESC, the honourable Brigadier Tariq Sadozai, dated 11 November, 2003 and the matter is still pending with the KESC.
We request the Finance Minister Shaukat Aziz to kindly intervene in this matter and save our industries from permanent closure. We are not asking for any subsidy, all we are asking is a level playing field ie the same tariff at which the industries of Hub and Karachi are getting electricity.