The Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) has criticised the decision of the Karachi Electric Supply Company (KESC) to resume power load shedding in the industrial areas of the city. According to a press release issued on Saturday, KCCI President Muhammad Saeed Shafique and Sindh Board of Investment Chairman and former KCCI president Muhammad Zubair Motiwala were of the opinion that whenever there is a shortfall in gas supply, the KESC starts load shedding on a massive scale to blackmail the government.
“It was agreed in clear terms that if gas supply does not dip below 180mmfcd, the city’s industry would not be subjected to load shedding, but the KESC has announced two spells of power outages of four hours each in a manner that makes the industry suffer the most,” they said. “The KESC is not paying to the Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC) and it also has to pay a huge outstanding amount to the Pakistan State Oil (PSO). But it puts forward the lame excuse of what the Karachi Water and Sewerage Board has to pay to it which is less than 25 percent of what it owes to others,” they added.
They said that consumers are paying their dues on time, but the KESC is not paying its dues to the SSGC and the PSO. “Where are these funds going? The cash flow of KESC needs to be scrutinised by an internal auditor appointed by the government,” they added.