The Multan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MCCI) on Thursday rejected 36 percent increase in gas tariff by the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) and urged the government to reject the decision and withdraw the hike. Khawaj Jalaluddin Roomi President Multan Chamber stated here that increase in gas tariff would affect exports as it would jack up the cost of doing business manifold and made it more difficult for the Pakistani products to compete in the international market.
He said such measures would also hamper growth of manufacturing sector, and create multiple problems for industrialists while fulfilling their export commitments. The incumbent government had always vowed to take private sector on board but the public sector departments did not consult MCCI or any other sector-specific association, he maintained.
He urged upon the government to make the business viable so that our exporters could meet the Indian, Bangladeshi, Taiwanese, Malaysian competitors in world market. He said that Pakistan would lose the markets if it failed to supply products on competitive rates.