June 29, 2006	Thursday	Jumadi-ul-Sani 2, 1427

KARACHI, June 28: Industrial production has dropped, trading slowed and efficiency of workers fell to the lowest level in Karachi, as electricity that ignites the economic engine is not available to industries, markets and the people of the city.

Many areas of the city are without electricity for the third consecutive day and KESC fails to restore the power supply. The prolonged power breakdown also causes water crisis as water supplies to many areas remain affected.

Industrialists have been complaining for more than a month that frequent and prolonged load-shedding hit their production. Traders and market people find it hard to carry their business without electricity. Shopping centers are facing tough time as business is at the lowest level.

All have been happening for a couple of months and no plan was made to cope with the situation. Business people said the efficiency of their workers had dropped as most of the people came to their workplace with partial or no sleep at nights.

Karachi, the economic hub of the country, is losing its charm as the center of economic activities. The devastating effect of power breakdown is compelling investors to give a second thought before entering the city.

“The city is no more attractive for any big project as it is evident from the shifting of industries to other parts of the country,” said Naseem Baig, a trader of textile products. He said no project investment was coming in the city.

Aamir Aziz, an exporter of knitwear products, said those industries which were not self-sufficient in power generation were facing serious problems to meet the deadline for their orders. He said they were losing orders and are not accepting fresh orders, fearing that frequent electricity breakdown might not allow them to meet the targets in time.

Exporters of gold ornaments also complained that they had lost orders as the shortage of electricity trimmed their working time.

Although the city government is working day and night to improve the infrastructure of Karachi, the crisis of major utilities like electricity and water has badly damaged its image in and outside the country.

The business community thinks that Karachi would remain restricted to a mere trading center because of its sea ports as the production and manufacturing sector would slowly stop investing here. They also believe that Karachi has lost its attraction for foreign investment.

“There is no chance for project-based foreign investment in Karachi as the crisis of electricity and violent protests were sending enough messages abroad to stop even if somebody willing to visit Karachi for investment.

KESC has its own argument to justify the crisis, while the government has its own reason to sell the “rights of 15 million Karachiites to purchase electricity without trouble”. But the ultimate losers are the people of the city who contribute the biggest share to the revenue of the country.