SIALKOT: Suspension of electricity supply to Sialkot industry at night has maimed the production capacity of the export-oriented city. The traders, industrialists and exporters fear that this could result in a great decline of exports from Sialkot.
According to the details, the Gepco had stopped the provision of electricity to Sialkot industry from 6pm to 4am with the advent of Ramazan to ensure the provision of electricity to the people during the sehari and iftar. However, this practice was resulting in stoppage of industrial production during night shifts in Sialkot factories.
The local traders, industrialists and exporters have raised their voice against, what they say, injustice by the government.
Sialkot Chamber of Commerce and Industry President Fazal Jillani has said that the Sialkot industry is already suffering from prolonged unscheduled load shedding during the day time.
Former SVP of SCCI Mian Muhammad Anwar added that instead of facilitating the exporters by providing maximum electricity to them, the government has halted the provision of electricity to Sialkot industry during the nights.
He said “during the days we face harsh load shedding of electricity and during the nights we have no electricity”.
Sialkot based central Chairman of Pakistan Readymade Garments Manufacturers and Exporters Association (PRGMEA) Ejaz A Khokhar added “Our industrial production was lying suspended during the nights due to non-availability of the electricity”.
Chairman Pakistan Gloves Manufacturers and Exporters Association (PGMEA) Muhammad Younas narrated that this nasty situation was also resulting in inordinate delay in timely dispatch of our export orders worth millions of US dollars, as we were unable to send our export consignments in time to the foreign destinations, in this regard.
President Markazi Anjuman Tajraan Sialkot Haji Mehar Ghulam Mujtaba said that the unending power cuts were badly hampering the business and trade activities in Sialkot, saying that now this situation has become unbearable for the traders as well…#
