KARACHI: President of Korangi Association of Trade and Industry (KATI), Saleem-uz-Zaman has expressed grave concern over the 100 percent closure of captive power units of industries and termed it as a murder of industrialisation.
He demanded uninterrupted supply of gas to industries. Saleem-uz-Zaman said that industrialists have already informed the federal and provincial governments of the concerns: non-supply of gas to industries and especially captive power plants would be detrimental to the national economy.
He said that every year it is assured that there would be no gas load shedding in industries, but on the contrary gas load shedding has started which will have a direct impact on industrial production and exports.
He said that the non-supply of gas to captive power plants in the wake of the Covid-19 outbreak would severely affect the pharmaceutical and other industries, making it difficult to manufacture life-saving drugs and it would directly affect the public.
He said that if the supply of gas to industries was disrupted, the process of industrial production would come to a standstill. In such a case, the increase in imports will lead to deterioration in the balance of trade, which will pose a serious threat to the improving economy and will also reduce the local industrial production process.
He viewed that Prime Minister Imran Khan has also repeatedly highlighted the importance of increasing exports, but in practice the industries are suffering from the gas crisis.
Saleem-uz-Zaman said that there are strong reservations among the industrialists on the issue of distribution of gas.
President KATI said that it is also necessary to solve the problems of CNG and domestic consumers, and if uninterrupted supply of gas to industries is not provided, the troubled economy will face further crisis, which we as a nation cannot afford.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2020