KARACHI, April 25: Industrialists in F.B. Area and North Karachi have complained that the KESC was resorting to unannounced loadshedding.

This has been resulting in production losses to them and was causing delays in meeting export commitments, they said.

The worst victim of loadshedding is Block 22 of F. B. Industrial Area where power failures have become a permanent feature.

The chairman of power and gas sub-committee of F.B. Area Association of Trade and Industry, Muzammil Husain, said the association had written a letter to KESC MD last week complaining that working of factories had been affected, and there had been delays in production activities.

F.B. Industrial Area comprises 90 per cent export-oriented units and contributes its share in the country’s export targets.

“This is high-time for exporters as the financial year is concluding. The federal government is expecting an increase in export earnings from the current target of $10.4 billion,” he said, adding frequent power breakdowns are causing delays in meeting export commitments.

He urged the KESC MD to ensure normal supply of electricity so that industries could run smoothly.

It is difficult to analyse the actual impact of production, revenue and export earning losses in case a power breakdown occurs for an hour.

An official in Site Association of Industry said that the association had conducted a study in 1999 in which per hour loss was estimated at Rs 70 million per hour in shape of revenue, export and production. In the current year, the per hour loss must have exceeded from Rs 70 million.

A former chairman of the North Karachi Association of Trade and Industry and currently senior vice chairman of the FPCCI’s standing committee on public utilities, Capt Moiz A. Khan, said that the load-shedding of two to three hours in every blocks had been a ritual since mercury had been showing a rise.

He urged the KESC MD to minimize the power breakdowns in the area to enable the exporters to fulfil their commitments with foreign buyers.

However, Site Industrial area and Korangi Industrial area have not yet witnessed any major power breakdowns as compared to F.B. Area and North Karachi industrial areas.

The Chairman of SITE Association of Industry, Haroon Farooqui, said that so far the power supply from KESC had been satisfactory. A same kind of reply came from a member of Korangi Association of Trade and Industry (KATI).