Exporters and manufacturers have urged upon the government to exempt Sialkot from electricity and sui gas load shedding for ensuring uninterrupted productivity in this export-oriented city and nucleus of cottage industry. Due to the unscheduled electricity load shedding and non-availability of gas the industrial sector particularly and Sialkoties in general are confronting with multiple problems in harsh cold weather.
Industrial consumers are suffering adversely due to non-availability of gas and forced electricity load shedding as a result of which the overall productivity had halted while domestic consumers are confronting with multiple problems.
The daily chore of a common man had crippled adversely in the absence of electricity and gas resultantly the miseries of the people increased to manifolds during severe cold weather in this huge foreign earning city. The export orders amounting to millions of rupees were pending due to unscheduled load electricity and non-availability of gas and under the circumstance in time completion of foreign orders was not possible due to load shedding of electricity and non availability of gas. Expressing their fears they said that if the ongoing situation remained the same than Pakistan will not only lose its creditability in international market but will face serious economic problems. The international buyers are reluctant in giving new orders to Pakistani businessmen and consequently they are considering diverting their business channels to other countries for obtaining timely shipments of orders they said.
After hectic efforts exporters of Sialkot had managed to restore the confidence of foreign buyers and succeeded in obtaining orders but it was very unfortunate that no practical step had been taken to address the issue of electricity and smooth supply of gas. Under the prevailing gas and electricity load shedding all their efforts wasted and it is very unfortunate that government was not paying proper heed to address the problems and difficulties confronted by the business community of the country they said. Sialkot based small and medium sized industries are earning over one billion US dollars through the exports of sports goods, surgical instruments, leather products, gloves of all sorts, textile items, sportswear and martial art uniforms.
SME sector had been performing the role as engine of growth by adapting to the changing market and customers trends in an agile manner. It may be mentioned that the exporters and manufacturers of this export-oriented city had put their heart and soul for fetching highly valuable foreign exchange for strengthening national economy and to keep the national higher and higher in the international market.
Under the circumstances the personal efforts exporters and manufactures are in vain because government had failed to protect the industrial sector of Sialkot. Sialkot is the only export-oriented city of the country and possesses entirely different export culture from other industrial cities of the country.