KESC, business community reach consensus

Power cuts to end today, industries to remain shut on Sundays.

KARACHI:

The Karachi Electric Supply Company (KESC) management and the business community have reached an understanding over the ongoing chronic power shortage in the industrial areas of the city.

During a meeting held at the Governor House on Saturday, it was decided that there would be no load-shedding in industrial areas from today (Sunday) and in return industries will remain shut every Sunday in December. Meanwhile, it was also decided that CNG stations will remain closed for two days a week in the upcoming month.

The KESC management also said that power outages will completely end in January and industries will be able to run operations throughout the week. The meeting, which was co-chaired by Federal Minister for Petroleum Dr Asim Hussain and Sindh Governor Dr Ishrat ul Ebad Khan.

The government has directed Pakistan State Oil to immediately provide the required amount of furnace oil to Karachi Electric Supply Company (KESC), Hussain told industrialists earlier at the Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

The rift between the city’s industrialists and power supplier aggravated on Friday when KESC made it clear that power supply to any industry will be disconnected if bill is not paid within the due date. Seven industrial associations comprising 17,000 members have been protesting against 12-hour outages for a week and have threatened to stop paying electricity bills if prolonged load-shedding it continues.

A cabinet meeting is scheduled on Tuesday to review the load-shedding situation in the country, Hussain said.

Businessmen Group chairman Siraj Kassim Teli said that KESC should be divided into separate companies so that one can oversee power production and the other can manage distribution, a system used in many countries across the globe.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 27^th, 2011.