January 03, 2008	Thursday	Zilhaj 23, 1428

FAISALABAD, Jan 2: Industrialists’ associations on Wednesday warned of closure of industries in protest against the Faisalabad Electric Supply Company (Fesco) if it failed to stop long spells of unscheduled loadshedding immediately.

The bodies’ representatives issued the warning at a meeting with Fesco chief executive Saeed Akhtar, which remained inconclusive.

Faisalabad Chamber of Commerce and Industries (FCCI) was the host of the meeting with its president Asim Khursheed in the chair.

The representatives of associations of power-looms, processing mills, Khurrianwala Industrial Estate and textile exporters, besides prominent industrialists, attended the meeting.

Sources privy to the meeting told Dawn that industrialists severely criticised Fesco and its policies towards the industry which, they said, had been fetching billions of rupees in foreign exchange.

The participants said the long spells of unannounced power suspension had rendered them unable to meet the export demands on time. The situation, they feared, would bring a bad name for the country in the international markets and they would be unable to compete with exporters of India, China, Bangladesh and other countries.

Industrialists questioned Fesco chief why the company did not bother to devise a strategy to cope with the menace of loadshedding in consultation with entrepreneurs. They blamed Fesco policies for low industrial production, apprehending that thousands of labourers could become jobless, if current power shortage continued.

They said industrialists could not run their business in such circumstances and would prefer to shut down their units and hand over the keys to the Fesco.

In the past, they said, Fesco used to consult industrialists prior to chalking out loadshedding plan, but this time they were ignored.

Fesco chief, the sources said, informed the participants that he was enjoying limited authority as far as power distribution was concerned. All such powers rested with the high-ups of Pepco, the power generating company, he said.

He assured the industrialists a meeting of businessmen would soon be arranged with PepCo chairman.

The sources said the industrialists decided to wait for the result of the promised meeting with Pepco chief before closing down their units.