AsiaNet-Pakistan Premier Editorial Content and Press Release Distribution Service
Lahore, May 18, 2013 (PPI-OT): With the Highest Cost of doing Business in the region the tanning sector is already under pressure and decision of NEPRA to increase Tariff by Rs. 5.80 Per Unit will prove last nail for this industry. The Industry is already facing load shedding of 8 to 10 hours which has added to our miseries and huge raise of Rs 5.82 is unbearable and most of tanning units have decided to close their operations if the decision is implemented, this was stated by Agha Saiddain Chairman Pakistan Tanners Association.
He said that Care Takers must shun of making such vital decisions of national importance. Such decisions need to be discussed in National Assembly before imposing on poor public. He requested Honorable Mian Nawaz Sharif to issue statement against this decision and matter may be discussed in National Assembly once its inaugural session starts by the end of this month.
Agha said, electricity tariff of Pakistan is already about 15 Cents as against 10.5 Cents in Bangladesh and 10.75 in Sri-Lanka. In these circumstances Pakistan will lose its competitiveness and most of the Industrial Units will face forced closure which may leave millions of people jobless. He said that most of our Tanning Units are either working on net loss or on marginal profit of 0.5% to 0.75%.
He said, Power Companies should control their Line losses which are approximately 22 to 25 Percent and expensive electricity will further increase line losses. For our suppressed population electricity bills have become unbearable and this has pushed them to steal the electricity.
He further added that current shortage of 6000 MW is mainly due to circular debt and new government should assign top priority to get rid of this toxic and vicious tape damaging our whole economy. He said tanning sector will come on the roads with all our poor workers if load shedding is not controlled and decision of Power Tariff hike is not withdraw.
For more information, contact:
Moinuddin Quraishi
Secretary
Pakistan Tanners Association
46-C, 21st Commercial Street,
Phase II, Extn., Defence Housing Authority,
Karachi-75500 –
Pakistan.
Tel: +92-21-35880180, 35880184, 35899819,
Fax: 92-21-35880093
Email: info@pakistantanners.org