Traders, Industrialists and Civil Society members expressed grave concern over the prolonged and unscheduled Electricity load shedding, which is yielding negative impact over the Industrial Production and creating severe unemployment in Punjab and its duration reached up to 18-20 hours a day.
In spite of gradual raise in temperature and changing weather conditions, Textile Processing Industry especially in Punjab is still facing severe 4 days' Gas curtailment in a week even in the month of March. Temperature is raised from winter season and further more domestic and commercial loads have also been reduced up to their maximum extent.
Talking to newsmen, Ajmal Farooq Chairman, All Pakistan Textile Processing Mills Association said that the Textile Processing Industry in Punjab remained closed for 154 days due to load shedding of Gas since July-2012 and the same situation is faced by the shortage of electricity because 10 hours' minimum load shedding is being observed.
Textile Processing Industry has a continuous processing and this curtailment multiplies the damages. Industry is going sick day by day due to this miserable condition, some units are closed and many units are near to close. Due to this shortage of Gas some units have been relocated their position in Bangladesh and many other units are also trying for their shifting.
The Textile Processing Industry is unable to ensure betimes shipments to the global market due to hold ups in the production process in the wake of Gas and Power cuts. The continued gas & electricity outages are inflicting between $25 million and $30 million loss every day on the textile industry in Punjab.
Further more due to above situation, he said that our industrialists are facing tough competition in the international market vis-à-vis other neighbouring competitor countries, like China, India, and Bangladesh, even our industrialists are demoralise and unable to hold their labour.
In spite of bumper Cotton crop was recorded in the country but due to shortage of Gas and Electricity, the Textile Processing Industry is unable to consume the crop for preparation of the value-added products. Government wants to achieve $95 billion Export Target, fixed in Trade Policy, which is looking absurd assumption such like a dream with open eyes due to this acute shortage of Gas and Electricity.
Mian Zahid Aslam, President Faisalabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FCCI), said that this forced, unscheduled electricity load shedding has made the industrial production to further low and the duration electricity outages of 12-17 hours in the city and 15-18 hours in the villages has made the life of people quite difficult, resulting into dearth of even drinking water. He stated that 80 percent of textile industry is located in Punjab and out of US $14 billion exports of textile US $10 billion are originated from Punjab where Faisalabad contributes US $4 billion per annum. Faisalabad being a city of small and medium enterprises as well export-oriented city, whole of the export orders as well as domestic commerce has been severely affected, he added.
He lamented that all these factors are anti-industry and anti-worker making the industrial and workers earning to further low and there might be a flood of unemployment, whose repercussions Government would not be able to face. Parallel, domestic consumers are also facing huge problems due to non-availability of electricity as even the drinking water is least available due to these intermittent electricity outages. He further said that the outgoing Government could not overcome the looming energy crisis despite its repeated promises and tall claims and not a single Megawatt has been added in the system but remained focused on increasing the electricity tariff which is now up by 100 percent.
He said that recently gas supply to Faisalabad industries remained suspended up to 68 days and now the record forced load shedding of 12-17 hours a day has put the industrial sector into severe deteriorating conditions. This has also seriously created economic hardships to the industrial workers particularly the daily wagers because the load shedding of electricity has snatched their bread and butter. He urged the Government and the Ministry of Water and Power to make the uninterrupted supply of electricity to the industries to save the country from high loss of export earnings and also the workers from starvation.