PIAF chairman Malik Tahir Javaid says govt needs to revisit policy towards uninterrupted supply of gas to industrial sector
LAHORE: The Pakistan Industrial and Traders Associations Front (PIAF) on Monday urged the government to adopt innovative measures to ensure an enabling atmosphere to the trade and industry.
While addressing a parliamentary committee meeting, PIAF Chairman Malik Tahir Javaid said that an acute shortage of energy and ongoing political uncertainty had already exposed the country’s economy to many external shocks. Former LCCI presidents Mian Anjum Nisar, Mian Shafqat Ali, Muhammad Ali Mian, Irfan Qaiser Sheikh and Sheikh Muhammad Arshad also attended the meeting.
Javaid said that the economic scenario was not as rosy as was being painted by some circles and this time it was not due to any wrong policies of the government, but because of other factors that have taken hostage a number of economic indicators.
The PIAF chairman said that the government would have to revisit its policy towards uninterrupted supply of gas to the industrial sector as its closure due to energy shortage could multiply the intensity of challenges.
He said that a bold decision was direly needed as half-hearted steps for provision of gas to the industry would not work at all. The industrial sector is more than 60 percent of the country’s economy and if it was in trouble, the entire economy would suffer, Javaid added.
He suggested to the government to strengthen institutional framework to get the desired economic results in a speedier manner by motivating the contributing factors as Pakistan was a resourceful country having all the ingredients to grow at a faster pace.
The PIAF chairman said that for the provision of gas to the industry, the government would have to overcome bureaucratic hurdles as the country was in dire need of one-window operation.
He said that the government would also have to reactivate its diplomatic machinery to resolve the perception-related issues being faced by the country due to internal factors. He said that there was time when the foreign buyers used to visit Pakistan every now and then but it has now become difficult to convince them.
Javaid hoped that the government would listen to the private sector in the larger interest of the country’s economy.
