The Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) on Saturday said that the Ministry of Narcotics Control (MoNC) has been harassing business community, chocking growth, triggering uncertainty, stoking inflation and contributing to massive unemployment.
The ministry had placed a ban on manufacturing, sale, purchase and use of certain chemicals including hydrochloric acid (HCL) without obtaining NOC and informing stakeholders while the Anti-Narcotics Force had started putting businessmen behind the bars which was unfortunate, said Zubair Ahmed Malik.
He said that the ministry had suddenly asked the stakeholders to take the NOC before dealing in the chemicals without giving time for preparations. Many have applied for the NOC but bureaucratic inertia had been making the situation worst, he said.
The FPCCI chief said the unilateral and sudden decision had put the future of industries at stake while hurting major industries of national importance like power generation, textiles, paper, soap, water treatment, atomic energy, fertilisers, oil and oil well drilling, steel, food, dyes, chemical and many more.
Many industrial units will face a shutdown in few days while the prices of some chemicals had escalated from Rs 4,500 per tonne to Rs 35,000 due to controversial decisions for which end users would be charged, he informed. Zubair Ahmed Malik said that imposition of the condition had left industrial units unable to procure the HCL from local manufacturers as they had been warned of strict action in case of sale or purchase of this chemical without the ministry’s approval.
On the other hand, manufacturers of the HCL says that little stock left is sufficient for the requirements of next few days and the production of major industries will come to a standstill if the ministry continued to insist on NOC before procurement of chemical.
Keeping manufacturers and users uninformed about the decision was the failure of the ministry concerned for which the business community was being made to pay which was unacceptable, he said, adding that many businessmen had been caught unaware which has sent very negative signals.
He said that ministries of food, commerce, power and energy were also not taken on board before the decision which was amazing, however, he said Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, Federal Minister for Interior and Narcotics Control, was aware of the situation and trying to settle the issue.
Malik said that all the requests for interim relief to help continue operations had fallen on deaf ears which would pave way for unrest, uncertainty, price-hike and legal battles.
