The increasing gap between the demand and supply of electricity and prolonged unannounced power cuts show that government is least worried about economic degradation and is not interested in taking corrective measures for the industrial sector. “If the energy crisis persists, industrialists would shift their industrial units to other countries where the industrial sector is the top most priority of the government.”
In a statement issued, Lahore Township Industries Association Chairman Haroon Shafiq Chaudhry, PIAF Senior Vice Chairman Nadar Kamal Osman and Autoparts Manufacturers & Exporters Association Chairman Tahir Javed Malik said that industrialists of Lahore Township Industrial Area have repeatedly appealed to the President, Prime Minister, Federal Minister of Water & Power, Chief Minister and LESCO officials to understand the gravity of the situation and ensure uninterrupted electric supply to the industrial area. He added that it is unfortunate that the situation is aggravating with every passing day. They said that industrialists have also requested to the LESCO officials to prepare load shedding schedule for the Lahore Township Industrial Area, but in vain.
They said that industrialists of the Lahore Township Industrial Area are paying billions of rupees in the wake of electricity and gas bills, sales tax, income tax and social security while also providing employment to more than 40 thousand workers but prolonged and unannounced load shedding has put the survival of the area on stake. The business community leaders said that due to energy crisis a large number of textile units have been shifted to Bangladesh while a staggering amount had also been shifted to Malaysia for business purposes in the last eight years but government is unmoved.
