Power and gas shortage: ‘Govt doesn’t want to resolve energy crisis’

Ex-FCCI president says govt should allow up to 200 MW private generation.

FAISALABAD:

The government was not serious about resolving the energy crisis, said Faisalabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FCCI) President Zahid Aslam while addressing a meeting of the heads of various trade associations at the FCCI Complex here on Monday. He said: “Our economy is directionless.”

He said that every year about 10 per cent new electricity generation must be added to the main grid if Pakistan wanted a GDP growth of 6 per cent. He said that an unjust distribution of gas and electricity was hurting industries in the Punjab, particularly the textile industry. He said the Ministry of Industries, too, was equally responsible for the relocation of industries to other countries from Pakistan.

He said there had been no tangible progress on electricity generation or gas exploration under the current government. He said the available gas and electricity should be shared between provinces equitably.

He criticised the opponents of Kalabagh Dam project and said. He said the government was not bothered by the high unemployment rate and would not be able to face the crisis emerging from the lay-off of 1.5 million industrial workers in Faisalabad only if the power and gas supplies did not resume.

Former FCCI president Javed Iqbal said solution to the crisis lay in deregulation of the power sector. He said the government should allow private power generation up to 200 MW.

FCCI Vice President Chaudhry Boota said the 18th Amendment was being misinterpreted in case of power and gas supply to provinces.

All Pakistan Textile Printing and Processing Association representative Aftab Ahmad said the government should provide at least 25 per cent of the gas supplies committed to the textile sector in Faisalabad.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 8^th, 2013.