HARIPUR: Industrialists of the Hattar Industrial Estate have criticised the Peshawar Electricity Supply Company over the excessive power cuts and warn that they’ll lay off staff to reduce expenses in case of not getting smooth electricity.

Hattar Industrialists Association president Malik Ashiq Awan told reporters here on Friday that the Hattar Industrial Estate was the biggest industrial zone in the province and had a contribution of billions of rupees to the national and provincial exchequers every month in the shape of taxes.

He said with over 300 functional industrial units, the estate supported over 60,000 families in different parts of country directly and indirectly by providing them with jobs and business opportunities.

Mr Awan however said half of the industries in the state were on the brink of closure due to the suspension of electric supply, which lasted around 10 hours daily, while the others were mulling to lay off manpower to meet expenses.

He insisted that the industrial production had almost come to a standstill due to power cuts.

“Industrialists are unable to meet their manufacturing targets due to the energy crisis, which will not only leave a negative impact on the collection of taxes but will also expose the scores of families, whose livelihood is attached to the manufacturing sector, to the serious economic problems,” he said.

Mr Awan said the federal government had exempted the industrial estates of Punjab from loadshedding but KP’s, especially the Hattar Industrial Estate, badly suffered from energy crisis due to a longstanding dispute between KP and the centre.

He demanded of the government to exempt the industrial sector from power cuts to protect employment of thousands of workers and ensure the continued contribution of huge taxes to the national and provincial exchequers.

Published in Dawn, May 26th, 2018