ISLAMABAD: Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI) called on Islamabad Electric Supply Company Chief Executive Malik Yousaf Awan to reduce the load-shedding during peak manufacturing hours.
Addressing the delegation, Malik Yousaf Awan, Chief Executive IESCO said that he was fully cognizant of the difficulties of industrialists due to energy shortfall and assured that IESCO would explore all possible options to reduce load-shedding for the industry. He said that due to energy deficit, IESCO had scheduled total 4 hours daily load-shedding for industry, however, the duration of power shutdown for industry would be slashed to 2 hours at a time so that industry could get some relief in continuing its production activities.
He said IESCO intended to provide maximum facilitation in power supply to industry, but, due to rise in power shortfall, it was compelled to resort to load management. However, he assured that IESCO would try to finalize load management schedules in consultation with business community to provide maximum relief to the industry.
Speaking at the occasion, Muzzamil Hussain Sabri, President, Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry said electricity load-shedding of long durations have rendered large number of workers idle and badly affected the production activities. He was afraid that if power shutdowns for industry were not controlled to minimum possible level, industry would be unable to meet production orders while many workers could lose jobs.
He said IESCO should finalize load management programs in consultation with business community so that consensus solution of energy shortage could be explored and industry could be saved from further losses.
Muhammad Shakeel Munir Senior Vice President, Muhammad Ashfaq Hussain Chatha Vice President ICCI, many local industrialists including Khalid Javed, Tariq Sadiq, Mian Shaukat Masud, Javed Iqbal, Sheikh Abid Waheed, Iftikhar Anwar Sethi and others were in the delegation.
