The industry in Punjab is fast heading towards the total closure only because of high cost of gas and electricity. The Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) Executive Committee observed this in a meeting presided over by the LCCI president Abdul Basit on Thursday. The meeting asked the government to impost uniform electricity and gas tariff across the country; as discrimination in utility prices is hitting the industry of Punjab hard."
Speaking on the occasion, Abdul Basit said, "It is matter of concern that there are different tariffs of electricity and gas for the industry in the same country. How the industry of Punjab could compete in the international market when it has not a level playing field within the country?"
He asked the government to take the decision at the earliest as electricity and gas are the basic raw material of the industry and difference in their prices among the provinces is adding to the miseries of industrial sector Punjab as its products are almost out of the race in the global market.
The participants urged the government to give due representation to the private sector in the Oil & Gas Regulatory Authority (Ogra) to make it an efficient department. At present, all decisions are being made without keeping in view the ground realities. The export-oriented industry of Punjab is in deep trouble because of high cost of doing business and is on the verge of collapse, the executive committee members said and added that such anti-business acts would hamper the growth of manufacturing sector, they said.
They said the government's machinery always vows to take the private sector on board but they do not bother to consult even the LCCI or any other sector-specific association while making the decisions. Moreover, the government departments like Oil & Gas Regulatory Authority (Ogra) are tightening noose around the private sector, they added.