Traders reject govt’s energy conservation plan

Representatives of the business community of Karachi have rejected a federal government decision to close commercial centres at 8:30pm and marriage halls at 10pm calling it a "failed experiment".

"In the past, similar decisions did not achieve the desired results," Atiq Mir, Chairman All Karachi Traders Union, said in a statement. "This decision will also not help much in saving energy," he added.

"The business volume will be reduced due to shortened business hours for the commercial centers. Those employed at the commercial centers and daily-wagers who struggle to meet their household expenses despite working three shifts will be the worst sufferers," he said.

The federal government has approved an energy conservation plan in order to cut down on its energy import bill amid the prevailing economic uncertainty.

However, Atiq said that it was time for the ruling elite and the privileged classes of the country to give sacrifices instead of piling up more burdens on the poor. "The facilities of free electricity and fuel should be taken back from the elite and privileged classes," he added. Muhammad Rizwan, President of Karachi Electronics Dealers Association, said that uncontrolled inflation has already affected their business in a big way as the purchasing power of people has been curtailed; therefore, the traders of Karachi cannot accept limits on the business hours of commercial centers.

"There is a need to use alternative sources of energy, which no government has been able to do so far. Now, the burden of the governments' failures is being put on businessmen and people," Rizwan said. "If the government is willing to bear the expenses of traders, then we are ready to close markets at 6p.m.," he added.

Javed Shams, President of the Karachi Traders Association, said that closure of the city's commercial centers at 8:30p.m.should be conditional to uninterrupted supply of electricity. He said this during talks between the provincial ministers and the representatives of the Karachi Traders Association, where Commissioner Karachi Muhammad Iqbal Memon was also present.

Shams said that the government had time and again promised to reduce duration of electricity load-shedding, but it never happened. He said that the national economy could not be stabilized at the cost of the country's business community.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 4^th, 2023.