The Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) Monday took a strong exception to the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) for making around 15 per cent increase in gas tariff without any prior notice to the industry.
In a statement issued here, the LCCI President Irfan Qaiser Sheikh said that it would cast devastating repercussions on local industry and oust the export-oriented industries from the international export market. The LCCI President said that the raise incorporated in the industrial gas bills for the month of July has created multiple problems for the industrialists as the authorities kept them in the darkness about the hike and resultantly they could not include it into their cost.
The LCCI President said that when the government functionaries or Ministers visit LCCI, they always vow to take the private sector on board on all future decisions but it is very unfortunate this time they did not bother to consult the LCCI or any other sector-specific association while jacking up the gas tariff.
Irfan Qaiser Sheikh said that the impact of this increase would be much bigger than the expectation of the government who should avoid any such decision keeping in view the economic scenario in the country.
Sheikh said that Rs 100 MMBTU increase in the gas tariff will put extra burden on cash starved industry therefore the OGRA authorities should immediately withdraw this raise.
The LCCI President said that if the OGRA authorities fail to take this back, there are a number of associations who would be moving court against this unilateral decision. “By making such decisions, the OGRA is not doing any service to the industry but actually the people are opening up gate for litigation,” he said. He said that at a time when all the governments in the world were facilitating their respective private sectors, the situation in Pakistan is the other way round and various government departments were tightening noose around the private sector.
While quoting the example of textile sector, the LCCI President said that it is one of the most value-added and export-oriented sectors in Pakistan, which accounts for more than 60 percent of total exports of the country. 95 per cent of its inputs are locally produced and by making energy out of their reach, government is in fact curbing the use of local inputs.” He said that even the slightest raise in the cost of production, at this critical juncture, would, therefore, spell doom and oust Pakistani merchandise from the international export market which would deprive the exchequer of much-needed valuable foreign exchange to the tune of billions of dollars.
