Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Company Limited (SNGPL) has suspended supply of gas to more than 600 industrial units most of them textile processing, printing, dyeing, sizing and chemical manufacturing factories, here Sunday morning, for next four days.
About 50,000 power looms were remained closed during the last three weeks, causing serious financial crunch due to non-availability of sized yarn and production of cloth remained piled up in processing factories, where gas and electricity were not available for its processing.
Talking to newsmen, Choudhry Salamat Ali, Chairman, Pakistan Hosiery Manufacturers and Exporters Association (North Zone), while giving a SOS call to the government, has feared that the export-oriented and labour intensive value added textile industry in Punjab would wipe out if due facilitation in supply of gas and electricity, cut mark up rates in single digit and a duty-free market access is not ensured.
He said that SNGPL has provided gas to the industry only four days in January 2011, while gas pressure was very low. Resultantly, most of the industrial units were remained closed and bearing huge financial losses.
He said that the cabinet committee and ECC had taken decision to ensure five days a week gas supply to the textile industry, which was later on endorsed by the Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani. However, he deplored, SNGPL has not implemented the decision for a single week.
He further said that SNGPL only negated the spirit of the committee's decision, but also made a mockery of the situation by introducing new schedules of gas supply to industry up to four days in a week.
Salamat Ali said that the value added textile industry-hostile approach of the SNGPL authorities is also discouraging investors and hurting investment of billion dollars. He said that the mismanagement of gas distribution is the main cause of the ongoing crisis, in which more than 3 million industrial workers of Punjab have become jobless. Daily wagers are facing acute shortage of food at their home and committing suicides, he added.
Chairman PHMA North Zone said that fair distribution of shortage of gas is imperative and it would be acceptable to all the segments. He asked the government to remove the discrimination in the gas load shedding. The shortfall of gas should be distributed equally and all over the country, he demanded.
Adil Manzoor Ellahi, Acting Chairman Pakistan Textile Exporters Association (PTEA) said that the inefficient load management by the gas company has not only rendered a severe blow to industrial activity, he added.
PTEA leader said that instead of shutting down the industry for four to six days a week, the gas company should have rotated the supply equally among various regions of the country.
Adil Manzoor Ellahi said that Pakistan is currently facing about 600mmcf gas shortfalls and during peak hours the gap between demand and supply reaches 900mmcf, this severe energy crisis in Pakistan has enormous negative impact on country's economic development.
Acting Chairman PTEA was of the view that serious trouble lies ahead for industrial and commercial sectors unless the shortage of gas is addressed. He also expounded that delay in fulfilment of export consignments has become a matter of routine due to less supply and low pressure of gas.
Adil Manzoor Ellahi further said that gas shortage is hampering the growth of industries, which would affect the growth of overall exports of the country.
In press statements, Ch Abdul Haq, Chairman, Muhammad Akram Ghouri, Vice Chairman, All Pakistan Cotton Powerlooms Association, Muhammad Shakeel Ansari, Chairman, Pakistan Sizing Industries Association, Sheikh Muhammad Saeed, Regional Chairman, All Pakistan Textile Processing Mills Association, Sheikh Abdul Qayyum, former President FCCI, Muhammad Ashraf Gandhi, former Chairman, Pakistan Yarn Merchants Association, Mian Ajmal Farooq, Vice Chairman, Khurrianwala Industrial Estate Association and other trade bodies have strongly condemned the decision of four to six days a week gas shedding for industrial sector and two day closures of CNG stations and stated that present rulers of the government are responsible for economy collapse and forcing daily wagers for committing suicides.