KARACHI, Nov 6: Business and industry leaders are seeking representation on the boards of public utility companies and civic bodies in order to synergise their efforts to make these utilities more responsive to the development needs of the private sector.

Some have also demanded that an apex body should be established with their representation to oversee the operations of these utility companies because their working and tariffs have direct implications on the viability as well competitiveness of our goods on the world markets.

“We would like the representation of the Karachi Chamber and other bodies involved in export trade and have powers to give recommendations in the framing of policies related to working and fixing of tariffs of such public companies whose working have lately have become dismal and anti-industry and economic growth,” asserted a leading exporter of garments.

The Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) has already approached Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz suggesting him to appoint KCCI nominees on various boards of utility companies as well as civic bodies.

In a letter to the prime minister, KCCI President Majyd Aziz pointed out that there was an imperative need for the stakeholders to be part of Karachi’s decision-making process so that realistic and practical decisions were undertaken by those organisations, agencies and corporations that were involved in the city’s development.

“KCCI feels that these organisations should operate and work in consultation of all stakeholders and a workable private-public partnership is imperative for the smooth functioning of those organisations that are directly or indirectly concerned with the progress and providing utilities to trade and industry,” he maintained.

Majyd said that KCCI’s representatives should be on boards of such entities as KESC, SSGC, KW&SB, City Coordination Committee, SPB, PQA, Textile City, Garment City, Dazzle City, TDA, etc., to achieve the objectives.

Korangi Association of Trade and Industry (KATI) Masooq Naqi said that the export industry in particular had been suffering on account of high cost of utilities and unilateral decisions taken by KESC, KWAB and SSGC etc., in formulating tariffs which were directly causing higher cost of input.

There is urgent need that export industry should also be inducted on the boards of these utilities and it will be better if an apex body comprising private-public representatives should be set up with full powers to approve or reject any such measures or steps which could be contrary to the interest of trade and industry, he added.

Pakistan Bedwear Exporters Association (PBEA) chairman Shabir Ahmed said that the export trade was confronted with dual problems, on one hand it had to compete on the world market by ensuring, quality, competitive price and prompt delivery and on the other it had to ensure that its input costs stay, if not lower, at the regional countries’ level.

“However, some of the utility companies after privatisation by the government are left to fleece their customers and there is no check on their activities,” he added.

He said that the KESC by amending or discarding the self-financing scheme for getting power connection (industrial, commercial or residential) had resorted to loot and plunder by making high charges on material being supplied by itself. In the past the owner was asked to get the material from the open market for getting a connection and the KESC only supervised the work.

However, after the removal of this system soon after its privatisation, Shabir Ahmed said that the power utility was not only making unilateral decisions by imposing high charges but also did not give specification and quality details of material.

He also accused the KSEC of lacking transparency in its working as it had been converted from a public monopoly into a private monopoly.