Daily Times

The business community Sunday urged the government to exempt the industrial sector from gas and power load shedding to provide oxygen to fragile economy besides meeting exports targets timely. Talking to a delegation of industrialists led by Momin Ali Malik, Coordinator to Federal Tax Ombudsman and Senior Vice President chamber Meher Kashif Younis said industry is backbone of the economy and all out incentives are offered to industry to contribute towards accelerating economic growth and social development in every sphere of life. He said it is practiced world over that in case of power shortage, first priority is always accorded to industry followed by agriculture sectors then commercial and domestic. He said industries are engine of growth so government in the larger national interests make sure uninterrupted supply of gas and power specially to export oriented industrial units otherwise our bleak economy will further suffer more losses rendering workforce jobless and on the other hand our agricultural growth and production will be affected badly due to non-availability of power and absence of required water needed for ploughing.

Meher Kashif Younis said energy sector has been an important driver of industrial growth over the past century, providing fuel to power the rest of the economy. He said energy is one of the main inputs of all production sectors. He stressed the urgent needs of fully exploiting the renewable energy resources to meet the ever-increasing energy needs of industrial sector. Momin Ali Malik who is senior executive of a heavy industrial unit sharing his point of view said gas and power are lifeline of any industry without which country can’t progress so the government at least must ensure its availability for two shifts continuously to ship export orders on time.

He said business community is ready to cooperate government in these critical crises provided they take stakeholders into confidence prior taking any policy decision. He said in prevailing scenario, the survival of any state mainly dependent on sound economy coupled with political stability. While concluding Meher Kashif hoped that government will give sympathetic consideration to their legitimate demand and take bold decision to save the crumbling economy from collapse.