Karachi: The Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) has condemned the gas crisis in very strong terms.
Senior leaders of the business community have criticized the government’s failure to manage the ongoing gas crisis, terming it disastrous for the country’s industry, already reeling from the effects of a precarious law and order situation and the falling competitiveness.
Senator Haji Ghulam Ali, President-FPCCI, Tariq Sayeed, VP-CACCI, S.M. Muneer, President-India Pakistan CCI and Iftikhar Ali Malik, VP-SAARC CCI have condemned the curtailed supply of gas to industry on one hand, and the government’s decision to raise CNG prices on the other. At the same time, they have urged the government to push ahead with schemes to alleviate the gas crisis on a war footing.
Senator Haji Ghulam Ali rebuked the government for mishandling the energy sector, stating that serious decisions which have vast implications for the economy must be taken after consultation with the business community.
Tariq Sayeed criticized the proliferation of CNG usage by the transport sector, stating that the gas consumed by transport should be made available for power generation for industry, which has been forced to turn to far more expensive furnace oil as an alternative, thereby inflating the tariffs and affecting the masses at an even larger scale.
S.M Muneer pointed out that as a result of the government’s haphazard energy policy, the public was suffering tremendous hardship, as most of the public transport vehicles were remaining off roads; while the few plying had doubled their fares, claiming they were running on petrol and diesel.
Iftikhar Ali Malik added that the business community of Pakistan was functioning under tremendous pressure from the global recession, the reluctance of foreign buyers to visit Pakistan, the aftereffects of the nationwide floods in 2010 and 2011, and political instability. In the presence of these hurdles, the added burden of the power crisis was an intolerable factor that must be addressed at the earliest.
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