KARACHI: Industry leaders have deferred the call to shut down their units after Acting Managing Director Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC) Amin Rajput assured them of smooth supply of gas during week days.

In a meeting held on Saturday both sides agreed to stick to their past arrangements.

The industry leaders highlighted their issues including low gas pressure disturbing production-lines, delaying export orders and causing damages to industry’s costly plant and equipment.

The SSGC chief complained that the industry was not sticking to the past agreement of running captive power plants at 50 per cent of their capacity and shutting down their units on Sundays.

He added that the entire distribution system of the utility company — including provision of gas to other consumers — had been affected due to the failure of industry to comply with the agreement.

The industry leaders resolved to keep their units closed on Sundays after Rajput explained that the failure to shut down units is causing the low gas pressure during week days.

Zubair Motiwala told Dawn that the industrialists also demanded an increase in gas allocation for the province so that exporters could meet their commitments in foreign markets.

He further said that industry will keep the units closed on Sunday to ascertain if there is any improvement in gas supply on Monday as committed by the SSGC.

However, he added that an additional supply of 50 million cubic feet per day to industry will help boosting exports. He said that gas shortfall could also be met through supply of RLNG as being given to Punjab on subsidised rates.

Senior leaders of the Port Qasim Authority, Hub, Super Highway, F. B. Area, North Nazimabad, Korangi Industrial, Sindh Industrial Trading Estate and Landhi Industrial area were also present during the meeting.

Published in Dawn, December 30th, 2018