Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry urged government to remove taxes on furnace oil to ensure relief to industry and industrialists, who are under tremendous pressure. An acute gas shortage and expensive alternate fuels like furnace oil has also added to the aforementioned pressure. In a statement issued here, LCCI President Irfan Qaiser Sheikh, Senior Vice President Kashif Younis Meher and Vice President Saeeda Nazar said industry is the biggest job provider and its closure would not create social unrest. It would also deprive government of much-needed revenue to run its affairs he added. Therefore it is the duty of government to ensure availability of cheaper alternate fuel to industry if it is unable to provide gas, he said. “The rise in number of unemployed workers would definitely give air to anti-government sentiments because industry closure would throw millions of industrial workers out of jobs.” LCCI office-bearers urged government to immediately take concrete measures to avert industrial closures and resultant massive lay offs.
“How can the industry afford to pay the all-time high mark up of 16 per cent when there in no gas for the industry?” they asserted. They said around 40 per cent of industrial units in Punjab run on gas. Hence, gas suspension means industrial production is cut to half of its capacity resulting in a loss of millions of rupees to exchequer. They said there is a global phenomenon that industry is given top priority whereas in Pakistan it is neglected and other sectors are given priority. They also urged government to get obsolete gas geysers and heaters with latest solar geysers and heaters to ensure gas to industry. The ‘discriminatory attitude’ of government was not only denting its goodwill and reputation but it has also put a question mark on its ability to manage and govern things.
They said industrial units in Sindh were getting almost uninterrupted supply except two- to-three hour load shedding periods. Pointing out that gas suspension plan is a death knell for export-based industry and productivity, LCCI office-bearers sought Prime Minister’s intervention and help for a regular supply of gas to industry in Punjab or removal of taxes on furnace oil. How industry would manage export orders worth millions of dollars when there is no gas, was a popular question. They were also anxious about thousands of daily wagers who have a single source of income. And above all, they wanted to know how government plans to convince both local and foreign investors for investment when it is unable to manage supply of gas to existing industrial units. LCCI office-bearers said the gas suspension decision had sent a very negative signal to foreign buyers.