Businessmen dismayed by energy supply issues

Demand problems should be resolved to help meet export orders

LAHORE:

Businessmen from across the country have expressed deep concern over frequent power outages and low gas pressure.

All Pakistan Textile Mills Association (Aptma) Punjab Chairman Adil Bashir said frequent load-shedding and low gas pressure were causing production losses to mills.

He said the mills were facing serious issues due to power fluctuations and unannounced outages over the past few weeks. Adding to their troubles, the gas pressure remained low in the past month.

Member mills of Aptma are facing interruption in the supply of furnace oil, which was of paramount importance for the textile industry that was dependent on high sulplur fuel oil (HSFO) for operating its captive power plants and various manufacturing processes such as dyeing, drying, heating, etc.

He said the member mills were unable to continue production, which was fraught with risks of further affecting the smooth supply of export orders. Bashir urged the government to ensure continued supply of electricity and gas without any fluctuations and low pressure at a critical juncture when exports of the country had started recovering.

The Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) also criticised the power outages and expressed fear that they would hit industrial production. LCCI President Irfan Iqbal Sheikh said power outages, coupled with weaknesses in the transmission and distribution system, needed immediate attention of the authorities concerned. He said energy supply was the key to development, and uninterrupted and affordable power supply was essential for accelerated economic growth.

The LCCI president said energy shortage and its high cost in Pakistan should lead to diversification from conventional and costly power generating methods to low-cost and multi-purpose methods and technologies for energy efficiency.

He said Pakistan could not afford to continue importing costly oil as trade deficit had already become the biggest challenge for the economy.

LCCI Senior Vice President Ali Hussam Asghar and Vice President Mian Zahid Jawaid Ahmad also called for measures to boost energy efficiency, saying it would save huge capital, improve the economy and environment.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 7^th, 2020.

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