Senior Vice Chairman of Pakistan Hosiery Manufacturers & Exporters Association (North Zone) Muhammad Amjad Khawaja has said on Sunday that the gas closure for Punjab is an anti-industrial step which will not only open the flood gates of unemployment but also deprive Pakistan of precious foreign exchange.
He said in a statement here that the gas closure would suspend industrial as well as export activities and exporters would be unable to fulfil their foreign commitments.
He termed it the last nail in the coffin of export industry which was also facing continuous decline during the last three months.
"Instead of taking such drastic steps, Government must consult the stakeholders and take them into confidence," said Khawaja adding that with mutual consultation, we could work out a reasonable solution that might help Government as well as Industry to manage their affairs properly. He rejected the decision of gas closure during winter season saying that it was highly detrimental to the economy as well as Pakistan. Continuing, he said that gas was one of the important and unavoidable components for the industrial process without which the industrial wheel would come to a grinding halt. He warned that industrial closure would promote the unemployment that would further deteriorate the law and order situation in Punjab.
"Government had assured quite recently that it will take positive and pro-industrial steps but suddenly the decision of gas closure was announced that also hit hard the export sector," he said adding that energy was the prerequisite element for economic revolution and its availability should be ensured round the clock at economical prices without any interruption.
Amjad Khawaja also underlined the disparity in the prices structure for the industrial sector of Punjab and said that they were charged GIDC, line losses and gas supply costs which had increased the energy cost and resulted enormous addition in production cost. He said that said steps made upcountry uncompetitive even within the country as we had to pay almost 1.5% higher cost of gas as compared to Sindh. He urged the Government to reconsider this injustice and step-motherly treatment with value-added textile sector of Punjab.
"This is very crucial time for value-added textile sector as they are busy in finalising their consignments relating to Christmas and New Year that will be delayed due to sudden gas-closure and it will result cancellation of millions of dollars export orders causing national exchequer colossal fiscal losses," he said adding that Government was trying to attract foreign investors but how they could be convinced in view of continued energy crisis faced by the local industrialists. He said that many industrial units had already been declared sick while remaining are also running at their 50% installed capacity. He said such step would render the working industry also sick.
PHMA senior vice chairman appealed to the Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, Finance Minister Ishaq Dar, Minister for Petroleum Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, Federal Minister for Commerce Khurram Dastgir and Punjab Chief Minister to intervene and direct the concerned departments to immediately withdraw this unworkable decision and restore the gas supply to the industrial sector of Punjab. He also demanded a meeting with the Prime Minister to work out a permanent and sustainable solution of gas shortage during winter season every year.