KARACHI: Former Vice Chairman of Pakistan Vanaspati Manufacturers Association (PVMA) and Former President KATI Sheikh Umer Rehan has demanded that the ghee & cooking oil industry be exempted from the gas load shedding,

He said that the supply of gas to important industries has been cut off by the government in the name of the non-export industry which has led to fears of a severe shortage of essential commodities in the coming days.

The industry that shuts off the gas supply also includes the ghee industry which is a very important component of food.

Sheikh Umer Rehan added that the ghee industry in Karachi meets more than 50% of the country’s needs. If the ghee industry shuts down, the problems of the people will increase.

He said that there is a possibility of facing a shortage of ghee in the country and hydrogen gas is used for production of ghee after cracking natural gas.

He said that the government should exempt ghee manufacturing industries from gas to avoid a shortage of essential commodities in the daily use of the people.

He appealed to Prime Minister Imran Khan and Federal Minister of Petroleum and Energy Hamad Azhar not to impose gas cuts indiscriminately on all industries but to make it possible to supply uninterrupted gas to important industries which are related to the needs of the people.

He suggested that all stakeholders should be consulted for the gas shortage.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2021