Sindh Governor Dr Ishrat-ul-Ibad Khan has said that the government has no objection on keeping shops open after 8 pm if the shopkeepers would use generators for their power needs. Sources said that addressing a 60-member delegation of Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) and small traders, led by its president, Majyd Aziz, on Tuesday at the Governor House.
The governor said that he had held a meeting with officials of Karachi Electric Supply Corporation (KESC) who gave a detailed presentation about power position, development works going on, increase in power demand and measures adopted for overcoming the power crisis in future.
He said that KESC officials had said that the ongoing development works would take some time to normalise power supply in the city. Ibad noted that power consumption in shops and markets was very high due to use of extraordinarily large numbers of high-power bulbs. If only 13 markets closed before 8 pm, power saving would be around 114 mw, he added.
He suggested that shopkeepers should start business early in the morning and close early in the evening to save electricity. About cars, motorcycles and mobile phones snatching, the governor pointed out that car snatching has reduced considerably, whereas there is little progress in controlling mobile phones and motorcycles snatching.
Dr Ibad assured the delegation that efforts were under way to overcome street crime in the city. He also directed Capital City Police Officer (CCPO) to take appropriate measures to control street crime.
Regarding issue of 100 percent increase in KMC shops rent, the governor said that in 1997 an agreement was made with KMC shop tenants and Dr Farook Sattar that KMC would increase rent by 5 percent every year. Since then the agreement had not been implemented.
The governor said that as per agreement 60 percent rent increase was already due. Regarding removal of encroachments, he advised market associations and trade bodies to support the government in removing encroachments. He said that it must be a joint effort of law enforcement agencies, city government and associations so that encroachments should be removed without any problem.
He said that the government intended to make Saddar a model town. About trade licence fee, City Nazim Mustafa Kamal, who was present in the meeting, assured the delegation that he would examine the possibility of making trade licence fee uniform for all areas of the city at the rate of Rs 300 per year.