Lahore
The Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry on Friday expressed deep concern over the reported plan to increase power tariff.
LCCI President Mian Nauman Kabir, Senior Vice President Mian Rehman Aziz Chan and Vice President Haris Ateeq said that on the one hand the government is planning to increase the power tariff that will be a big blow to the industrial sector in general and export-oriented industry in particular while at the other, the government has taxed the solar energy equipment to discourage the cheape source of energy.
In PakCistan bulk of electricity is produced through oil-run power genCerCaCtors that has kept the enCergy rates volatile to the exCtent that it is fast crushCing the ecoCnomic acCtivCiCtiesö, the LCCI office-bearers said.
They said that hike in power tariff is a fuCtile exCerCcise and will not be doCing any serCvice to the govCernCment unCless and unCtil it makes a plan to reCmove inCefCfiCcienCcies in the power secCtor.
The LCCI office-bearers said that beCsides conCtrolCling line losses and electricity theft, the govCernCment will have to chalk out a plan to conCvert oil-based power genCerCaCtors to alternate sources.
They feared that the governmentls plan to increase the power tariff will inCcrease the inCciCdents of electricity theft that is alCready one of the biggest challenges being faced by the power sector.
How the inCdusCtry will reCmain comCpetCiCtive at such a high tarCiff of electricity which is one of the baCsic in-dusCtrial raw maCteCriCalsö, they questioned and said that Pakistani merchandise are facing challenges to keep their existence in the international market while further increase in the power tariff will make the things more difficult.
Mian Nauman Kabir, Mian Rehman Aziz Chan and Haris Ateeq urged the government to shun the plan of power tariff hike and enourage the alternate energy resources in the larger interest of the industrial sector and the economy.
