LAHORE, Oct 11: The Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda) has allowed closure of steel furnaces for seven days each from Oct 12 to Dec 18, says a Wapda spokesman.

In a statement issued here on Thursday, the spokesman said the facility would be available to steel mills being fed through independent feeders if their owners had cleared their previous bills and their power connections were intact.

He said consumers would be allowed temporary disconnection if they made a request in this regard to the executive engineer (operations). He said the exemption from payment of proportionate fixed charges for the days of power suspension would be given in the next electricity bills.

CONTRACTORS ASSOCIATION: The All-Pakistan Contractors Association has thanked the government for 66.6 per cent reduction in the customs duty on the import of bitumen.

Association Chairman Engineer Ahmad Ghazal Usmani said in a statement issued here on Thursday the reduction in customs duty would help increase bitumen’s availability in the local market and bring down its prices. —Reporter