SITE industries lose Rs1b from power outages

Industries in Site face losses due to unannounced outages by KESC over the past two days.

KARACHI: Industries in the Sindh Industrial and Trading Estate (Site) have faced losses of a billion rupees due to unannounced outages being carried out by the Karachi Electric Supply Company (KESC) over the past two days.

This was expressed by SITE Association of Trade and Industry (SAI) Chairman Abdul Wahab Lakhani.

He said that the country’s largest industrial hub had been a victim of four-hour power cuts over the past two days had affected industrial production and  caused losses of around a billion rupees.

Site contains mostly smal-sized industries which produce inputs for larger export-oriented industries, he said, adding the supply of inputs for larger industries has also been affected.

Lakhani said that the KESC has blamed the reduced gas supply by the Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC) for the drop in power production while SSGC complained about outstanding dues against the power utility running into  billions of rupees.

KESC collects billions of rupees in utility dues every month, but it is still unable to clear its debts, which is very worrisome, he said, adding it is the consumer who ends up suffering eventually.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 14^th, 2010.