Karachi —The Federal Minister for Petgroeum Dr. Asim has said that there would be no load shedding of electricity in industrial areas from Monday. The industrial associations have welcomed the government’s move to stop load-shedding in industrial areas. The Patron In-Chief Korangi Association of Trade and Industry, S M Muneer, Chairman Ehteshamuddin, former Chairman Mian Zahid Hussain and Vice Chairmen, Hasham A Razzak and Tariq Malik while appreciating the assurance of Federal Minister for Petroleum Dr Asim Husain to end up load-shedding in industrial areas from Monday.
Chairman KATI Ehteshamuddin said that in an exclusive meeting with KATI’s office bearers on Thursday were assured by the government of Sindh to eliminate load-shedding from industrial areas and now the Petroleum Minister has confirmed that KESC would exempt industry from long hours load-shedding. He said that industry is facing extremely hard time now –a-days and is not at all able to sustain any further blow like electricity or gas load-shedding. He advised the government to ensure that KESC should not resort to any such action save energy at the cost of industry.
Meanwhile, at KCCI, the Federal Minister held that President, Prime Minister and Ministers were aware of the power dilemma. He said that on his suggestion in the last cabinet meeting a cabinet meeting was called on Tuesday (Nov. 29) that would focus only on power crisis.
He further informed that under the Ministry of Finance a meeting with KESC was scheduled next Wednesday during which impasse would be discussed. He said that the circular debt predicament would also be addressed in the meeting.
Petroleum Minister while warning that future global wars would be fought over energy securitization, maintained that energy crisis, that Pakistan was facing today, was the result of wrong policies of yesteryears. He said that the institution of energy security was the weakest in the country and hence people would have to take the ownership. He said that due to ill planning in the past domestic gas connections were increased six folds and there was an enormous escalation in the number of CNG stations, as a result precious gas had been wasted on throwaway price. He said that gas should have been reserved for Industries, Power Generation and Fertilizer Manufacturers while for domestic usage and transportation alternates should have been explored.
Petroleum Minister warned that the nation should be ready for worst times as in the next couple of years there would be a severe shortage of gas. However, in an optimistic pitch Dr. Asim Hussain stated that result of Thar Coal was expected in three years while his ministry was working to bring LNG in the country. He said that despite US sanctions Iran was exporting oil all over the world and he was hopeful that the proposed gas would eventually be available here. Asim Hussain observed that there were different cartels - like LNG and LPG - operating in the country that was one of the causes leading to the energy crisis. He pointed out due to past policies entities like KESC, IPPs and Rental Power Plants etc were given preferential treatment.
Minister maintained that business and industry were engines of development and if they were not satisfied with KESC they should get rid of it. He said that since government lacked expertise, technical knowhow and manpower, businessmen and industrialists should make a plan (to takeover and operate KESC) and the government was with them. He said that the government and cabinet believed that if there was no legal snag there was no reason why it should not be done.
Earlier KCCI President Mian Abrar Ahmad said that Karachi contributed 68% of the taxes collected all over the country and paid 98% of the KESC revenue. Yet he said that for the last few years there had been a problem of load shedding that aggravated in the last few months making running of industries impossible. He said that KESC had the capacity but no will to generate required electricity. He blamed that KESC was fleecing the industrialists, blackmailing the government and siphoning revenues out of the country.
Mian Abrar pointed out that in the 64-year-old history of Pakistan it was the first occasion when industrialists took to the streets. He reiterated that since they could not agitate they would simply stop paying the bills to KESC and instead deposit the amount with their relevant associations in the form of pay orders. He said that government should realize how industrialists in these circumstances could meet export targets, failing that would mean losing international clients. He said that there were some 16,000 industries operating in the seven industrial zones of Karachi that directly and indirectly provided livelihood to seven million people. He said in case of closure these people would be rendered jobless and ultimately resort to agitation. Abrar Hussain said that provision of furnace oil and gas was not their concern but the problem of the government.
Chairman KATI Ehteshamuddin said that in an exclusive meeting with KATI’s office bearers on Thursday were assured by the government of Sindh to eliminate load-shedding from industrial areas and now the Petroleum Minister has confirmed that KESC would exempt industry from long hours load-shedding. He said that industry is facing extremely hard time now –a-days and is not at all able to sustain any further blow like electricity or gas load-shedding. He advised the government to ensure that KESC should not resort to any such action save energy at the cost of industry.
Meanwhile, at KCCI, the Federal Minister held that President, Prime Minister and Ministers were aware of the power dilemma. He said that on his suggestion in the last cabinet meeting a cabinet meeting was called on Tuesday (Nov. 29) that would focus only on power crisis.
He further informed that under the Ministry of Finance a meeting with KESC was scheduled next Wednesday during which impasse would be discussed. He said that the circular debt predicament would also be addressed in the meeting.
Petroleum Minister while warning that future global wars would be fought over energy securitization, maintained that energy crisis, that Pakistan was facing today, was the result of wrong policies of yesteryears. He said that the institution of energy security was the weakest in the country and hence people would have to take the ownership. He said that due to ill planning in the past domestic gas connections were increased six folds and there was an enormous escalation in the number of CNG stations, as a result precious gas had been wasted on throwaway price. He said that gas should have been reserved for Industries, Power Generation and Fertilizer Manufacturers while for domestic usage and transportation alternates should have been explored.
Petroleum Minister warned that the nation should be ready for worst times as in the next couple of years there would be a severe shortage of gas. However, in an optimistic pitch Dr. Asim Hussain stated that result of Thar Coal was expected in three years while his ministry was working to bring LNG in the country. He said that despite US sanctions Iran was exporting oil all over the world and he was hopeful that the proposed gas would eventually be available here. Asim Hussain observed that there were different cartels - like LNG and LPG - operating in the country that was one of the causes leading to the energy crisis. He pointed out due to past policies entities like KESC, IPPs and Rental Power Plants etc were given preferential treatment.
Minister maintained that business and industry were engines of development and if they were not satisfied with KESC they should get rid of it. He said that since government lacked expertise, technical knowhow and manpower, businessmen and industrialists should make a plan (to takeover and operate KESC) and the government was with them. He said that the government and cabinet believed that if there was no legal snag there was no reason why it should not be done.
Earlier KCCI President Mian Abrar Ahmad said that Karachi contributed 68% of the taxes collected all over the country and paid 98% of the KESC revenue. Yet he said that for the last few years there had been a problem of load shedding that aggravated in the last few months making running of industries impossible. He said that KESC had the capacity but no will to generate required electricity. He blamed that KESC was fleecing the industrialists, blackmailing the government and siphoning revenues out of the country.
Mian Abrar pointed out that in the 64-year-old history of Pakistan it was the first occasion when industrialists took to the streets. He reiterated that since they could not agitate they would simply stop paying the bills to KESC and instead deposit the amount with their relevant associations in the form of pay orders. He said that government should realize how industrialists in these circumstances could meet export targets, failing that would mean losing international clients. He said that there were some 16,000 industries operating in the seven industrial zones of Karachi that directly and indirectly provided livelihood to seven million people. He said in case of closure these people would be rendered jobless and ultimately resort to agitation. Abrar Hussain said that provision of furnace oil and gas was not their concern but the problem of the government.