Site industrialists condemn gas suspension

KARACHI: Site Association of Industries (SAI) president Abdul Rasheed rejected the Sui Southern Gas Company’s (SSGC) imprudent decision to suspend gas supply to all non-export general industries and demanded the gas utility to carry out staggered gas holidays along with better load management, which would help the non-export general industries to continue to run according to the prescribed schedule, a statement said.

The SAI president said the SSGC management, which appears to be unaware of what was happening and was unable to control the situation, must go for staggering holidays and better load management to provide relief to the perturbed business and industrial community who are providing livelihood to millions of people.

Rasheed also questioned the policy of prioritising gas supply to the domestic consumers over job security. “What good is gas availability for an unemployed person?” He questioned and urged the government to not take populist decisions and understand the negative impact of shutting down manufacturing activity on employment and inflation.

The exemption given to the export sector would not provide the desired results, as general industries supply essential raw materials to the export-oriented industries; hence, are an integral part of the supply chain and must stay operational, otherwise the export sector, even with gas, would not be able to maintain the pace of exports, he added.

Terming gas suspension to non-export general industries as detrimental, he said, the Site Association will not stay silent and will use all available options, including a huge sit-in outside the SSGC head office until relief is provided to all industries without any discrimination.

The SAI president said the gas suspension to general industries would not only result in increased unemployment but would also fuel massive inflation due to shortage of essential goods in the market.

“With inflation already at 18 per cent YoY, any supply side disruption would make the situation untenable for the masses, as the shortages would jack up the prices further, eroding the purchasing power of the lowest strata,” he added.

Rasheed also said that Prime Minister Imran Khan did not shut down industries during the Covid-19 for these very reasons, while SSGC has done the same without giving heed to the prime minister’s clear policy on the matter.

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