The Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry Tuesday criticised the government for failing to restore supply of gas to the industry and urged it to fulfill its commitment as both the trade and industry were in bad shape due to suspension of gas.
In a statement issued here, the LCCI President Irfan Qaiser Sheikh said that on January 7 a commitment was made with the industrialists, trade leaders and the presidents of all the chambers in the province that the two-day gas supply to the industry in Punjab would be restored on January 11 but it is very unfortunate on the part of the government that it could not honour its commitment.
And today is the 23rd day that the entire industry was without gas causing a loss of around Rs100 billion and putting at stake the jobs of 15 million people who are attached with the industry directly or indirectly. He asked, who will be responsible for the 4 million daily wagers who are attached with Industry in Punjab. “If the authorities knew that they would not be able to restore gas, they should have at least taken their own people into confidence.” Irfan Qaiser Sheikh said that now the business community was left with no other option but to evolve future strategy with the consultation of all the stakeholders including all the chambers in Punjab.
He said that the continuous gas suspension has already marred industrial activity in the province, rendering thousands of industrial workers jobless and if the situation remains the same for some time to come the economy would suffer irreversible losses. Irfan Qaiser Sheikh said that the imminent industrial closures and massive lay offs would not only create trouble for the economy but would also hit the government reputation hard that is already facing challenges on various fronts. He said that uncertainty is the most lethal thing for any business and the present regime is constantly keeping the entire business community into darkness about the real gas supply-demand situation.
Irfan Qaiser Sheikh said that only because of bad governance the country’s exports have declined by 11 per cent in the month of December and would likely suffer new lows if no heed was paid to solve the ongoing energy crisis. “How trade and industry would be able to pay markup and other liabilities when there would be no productions. Only last year the industry was given gas for 200 days while it had paid markup of 365 days.”
The LCCI President said that two different formulas are being applied in Pakistan. As in SNGPL there is total gas suspension to the industry for the last 15 days and for CNG sector it is two and half days only while in SSGPL the gas loadshedding for the industry is only for one day. “It seemed that the government was planning to destroy the entire industrial sector in Punjab and wants to make this country a trading place instead of a manufacturing hub.”
