The trade and business community in Karachi wants the city to be treated as an exceptional case, as the Sindh government is weighing various energy conservation options ranging from declaring Saturday as a holiday to closure of the shops by 8pm.
Also, the Sindh government, which eyes conserving at least 1,000MW of electricity through implementing the decisions taken in the Lahore energy moot, plans to hold a high level meeting with all law enforcement agencies to address concerns of the city’s small and big traders.
The traders’ concerns range from poor state of law and order to unabated load shedding by the Karachi Electric Supply Company (KESC). Friday saw a three-member energy body formed by the Sindh chief minister hold its first meeting with the stakeholders, particularly the business community, to discuss energy conservation steps at the Chief Minister’s House.
The committee comprises Information and Power Minister Shazia Marri, Advisor to CM Rashid Rabbani and Sindh Board of Investmnet Chairman Zubair Motiwala.
Addressing the meeting, Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah explained the issues pertaining to electricity shortage which were discussed in the recent National Energy Conference in Lahore and invited the opinion of business community on the issue of closing shops by 8pm.
The business community was of the view that since Karachi was a metropolis and an economic hub, it should be treated as an exception.
They said businesses in Karachi were already being disturbed by the presence of miscreants and it was most important to address this concern. Most businessmen were also concerned about KESC’s load shedding and demanded uninterrupted electricity supply.
It was also mentioned that police had earlier taken action to control the extortion mafia on complaints by the business community, but more concentrated effort was required.
Shah directed the Additional IG Police Akhtar Gorchani to address all concerns of the business community. The CM stressed the need to ensure energy conservation.
He said the government was focusing on various options for electricity generation but conservation was necessary to provide immediate relief since it saved approximately 1,000MW of electricity if different conservation options were implemented. The chief minister said Saturday was being considered a holiday and only alternate street lights and neon bill boards would be lit as part of energy conservation drive.
