The local steel sector industrialists called upon the Pakistan Environmental Protection Agency (Pak-EPA) for restoration of closed steel industrial units as closure of some steel units by the EPA has rendered hundreds of workers jobless apart from creating lot of harassment in the business community.
Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI) President Atif Ikram Sheikh while addressing a meeting said that the industrialists are ready to cooperate with the Pak-EPA for controlling pollution and ensuring compliance of its environmental standards to keep the environment of industrial areas healthy and pollution free.
He said that the steel industry plays an important role in the development of local economy as it is generating employment, making significant contribution to tax revenue and promoting economic activities, therefore, closing these industrial units on account of environment pollution issue is not an optimum solution, he added.
The ICCI president emphasised that Pak-EPA should avoid such strong-arm tactics in the larger national interest as closing industries would discourage new investment. He urged upon the Pak-EPA to give at least 90-day period to the existing and new steel industrial units so they could get the required equipment installed for emissions control in order to promote a healthy environment.
The steel industrialists assured that if Pak-EPA allowed re-opening of closed units, all the cases against it with the courts shall be withdrawn with immediate effect.
