KARACHI: President of the Lasbela Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), Ismail Suttar has sought federal government intervention in restoration of gas supply at priority to Hub industries in Balochistan.

He has resentfully concluded that the Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC) is either incompetent or under pressure from unknown players despite the consistent pushing by stakeholders for days over the record low-pressure of gas ahead of winters.

In the past, due to negligence, nepotism and deep-rooted corruption, Pakistanis have never been able to benefit from the treasure of 217 million tonnes of coal and mineral reserves of the province. As a result, the GDP contribution of Balochistan has remained sub par at 6 percent.

Another reason is the inequitable distribution of resources and one of these is supply of gas. The boilers and captive power generators are not receiving desired pressure that has significantly impacted production, on which employment of millions of workers and billions of foreign exchange in export revenue depends.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2020