PESHAWAR: The trade and business sectors including Small Medium Entrepreneurs (SMEs) and infant industries, which were largely depended on gas and electricity, would get upward boost following successful eradication of the long issue of energy crisis by the PML-N Government in the country.
Experts in economics and politics while commending the PML-N Government for addressing the core issue of energy crisis said people from all walks of life including domestic, agriculture, trade, business, socio-economic and industrial consumers besides SMEs and infant industries would be immensely benefited with provision of uninterrupted power and gas supply to them.
Saleh Muhmamad Khan MPA told APP that energy crisis was one of the greatest problems of Pakistan that was completely overlooked by the past regimes and resultantly, it had not only slowed pace of economic activities and industrial units production but had caused public unrest with prolonged outages of electricity and gas in the past.
Before PML-N took over in 2013, there was 18 to 20 hours load shedding in the country that had made lives of people miserable besides marred the growth of industrial units and infant industries.
The people still remembers the unfortunate incidents of attacks on grid stations, Wapda installations and burning of transformers by angry protestors due to prolong power outages especially in summer in Peshawar and other parts of KP, he said.
The acute shortage of gas and electricity had not only affected infant industries and SMEs sector in KP and Fata but also made negative effects on production of fertilizers, agriculture, transport, construction, tourism, industries and service delivery sectors in the country.
He said PML-N leadership has accepted energy crisis is a challenge and has started and completed scores of energy projects including Nelum Jehlaum, Turbela Four Extension Project, Kurram Tangi dam, Golden Goal and Gomal Zam Dam in South Waziristan Agency besides others mega projects.
As result of PML-N government goal oreinted energy policies, he said, a record 1.2 billion cubic feet per day gas has been increased during last four years that would immensely help bolster commerce, business, trade and SME sectors across the country.
In addition to record delivery of 7.40 millon tons LNG at national transmission network and signing of successful agreement with Qater for imports of LNG, the government has successfully completed 2 LNG terminals besides imports of 1.2 billion cubic gas per day and uninterrupted gas supply to industrial and domestic consumers was ensured.
The successful economic policies of PML-N Government had not only restored confidence of foreign investors but attracted 55 billion dollars Chinese investment under CPEC and 2 billion dollars from Russia for construction of Karachi to Lahore gas pipeline project to cater the growing demands of domestic and industrial consumers.
Construction work on Tapi-gas pipeline has been started besides production of 3600 MW electricity from gas resources to arrest menace of load shedding in the country .
Uninterrupted power supply was being given to CNG sector and fertalizers sectors and ban on new gas connection was lifted with increase in gas production.
Senior economist Professor Dr Naeem said ending of load shedding would help generate employment opportunities and promote SME and infant industries.
Dr Naeem said chronic power shortage, in the form of load shedding and power outages, costed the economy billons of rupees in the past and its solution was the need of the hour.
He said last year the average shortfall in the power sector was about 4,000 mw, and nearly two billion cubic feet per day (BCFD) in the natural gas sector, which was successfully overcome by the government by increasing the generation capacity of power and gas units, imports of LNG, creation of new units and others related projects
Dr Naeem said new industrial estates are being setup for CPEC for which inexpensive and uninterrupted power and gas supply would be required for promotion of trade and investment directly linked to generate jobs for people and alleviate poverty.
He said the government alone cannot control load shedding unless being supported by masses, saying that it was the responsibility of all segment of the society to safe energy for progress and prosperity of the country and future generation.
