Industrialists demand uninterrupted supply of gas

Korangi Association of Trade and Industry (KATI) President Saleemuz Zaman expressed grave concern over the 100% closure of captive power units of industries and termed it as destruction of industrialisation.

Demanding uninterrupted supply of gas to industries, he said industrialists had already informed the federal and provincial governments of the concerns, adding that non-supply of gas to industries and especially captive power plants would be detrimental to the national economy.

He said that every year it is assured that there will be no gas load-shedding, but on the contrary gas load-shedding has begun, which will have a direct impact on industrial production and exports.

The KATI chief added that non-supply of gas to captive power plants in the wake of the Covid-19 outbreak would severely affect pharmaceutical and other industries, making it difficult to manufacture life-saving drugs and would directly affect the public.

He warned, “If the supply of gas to industries was disrupted, the process of industrial production would come to a standstill.”

“In such a case, the increase in imports will lead to deteriorating balance of trade, which will pose a serious threat to the improving economy and will also reduce local industrial production process.”

The president of the view that Prime Minister Imran Khan has also repeatedly highlighted the importance of increasing exports, but in practice the industries are suffering from the gas crisis. Zaman highlighted that there are strong reservations among the industrialists on the issue of distribution of gas.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 27^th, 2020.

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