PESHAWAR, Oct 15: Unprecedented power outages and growing subversive activities have brought trading and industrial of NWFP on the verge of collapse, paralysing the provincial economy, say local business people.
“In a province where power supply remain suspended for 18 to 20 hours daily, the industrialists are left with only one option that to shut down their factories to avoid further liabilities,” said Haji Mohammad Asif, president Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI), while addressing a press conference here on Wednesday. Flanked by president of Industrialists Association Peshawar (IAP), Nauman Wazir, chairman SCCI Standing Committee on Power, Sohail Hashmat, Riaz Arshad, Haji Inayat Khan and Mohammad Nawaz, he said that the decline in business activities was forcing industrialists to close down their units.
The prevailing energy crisis, he said, on one hand was destroying the national economy and on the other it was further increasing the unemployment in NWFP that will lead to pushing more and more people into poverty.
Mr Asif lamented that the country export was touching the lowest ebb because of the prevailing power outages, while the government instead of tacking measures for improving the situation was rather preparing people for the worst.
He demanded of both federal and provincial governments to immediately end 18 hours long and unannounced loadshedding in the province and take steps for increasing production of electricity on war footing.
Criticising the government’s petroleum policy, Mr Asif said the prices of oil in international market had plunged from US$ 147 to 75 per barrel, but still the government was reluctant to reduce its domestic prices. He asked the government to cut down the prices of petroleum products by at least 50 per cent to give relief to the general public and business community.
He also expressed deep concern over flour and wheat crisis in the country, saying that 20kg bag of flour was being sold at Rs1,000 in the provincial metropolis while Punjab has suspended the supply of both wheat and flour to the province. The SCCI said that NWFP was worst affected province of the terrorism and extremism and due to the deteriorating law and order situation no investor was ready to invest in the province.The investors, he said now either transferring their investment to Punjab or outside Pakistan, adding the government was taking no step for restoration of the investors’ confidence.
Speaking on the occasion, President Industrialists Association Peshawar (IAP), Nauman Wazir lamented that despite generating 90 percent hydropower generation power tariff in the province was higher than other provinces and maximum load shedding was carried out in this part of the country.
He rejected increase in the power tariff and said that they will not deposit their utility bills of electricity due for October 27 on the basis of the new rates and will deposit it on the basis of old rates.
Mr Wazir said that since the formation of the present federal and provincial governments in the country neither federal nor provincial ministers for industries had held meeting with the industrialists.
The power distribution companies of Lahore Electricity Supply Company (Lesco), Gujranwala Electricity Supply Company (Gesco) and Islamabad Electricity Supply Company (Iesco) have been excluded from the current load shedding that was injustice, Mr Wazir concluded.