KARACHI: Chairman Businessman Group (BMG) & Former President Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) Siraj Kassam Teli, who led a KCCI’s delegation at Sunday’s meeting with Prime Minister Imran Khan at Governor House, appreciated the Prime Minister for taking business and industrial community’s input on numerous issues and immediately directing the relevant Ministers to take measures for creating an enabling business environment as per aspirations of the business & industrial community.
According to a statement issued, Vice Chairmen BMG & former presidents KCCI Tahir Khaliq, Haroon Farooki and Anjum Nisar, President KCCI Junaid Esmail Makda, Vice President Asif Sheikh Javaid, Former Presidents Haroon Agar, Younus Muhammad Bashir, Shamim Ahmed Firpo and Chairman KCCI’s Special Committee for Small Traders Majeed Memon were also part of the KCCI’s delegation.
Siraj Teli said that KCCI’s delegation expressed deep concerns over Gas Infrastructure Development Cess (GIDC) issue which remains unresolved to date and also stressed that Sindh has the first right on its gas reserves under Article 158 of the Constitution of Pakistan. “Therefore, the gas being produced in Sindh should at first be supplied to the province and after fulfilling the requirement of Sindh, surplus gas should be passed on to other provinces in line with Article 158 of Pakistan’s Constitution”, he added.
He welcomed PM’s directives to Finance Minister Asad Umer who was asked to hold a meeting with business community so that GIDC, uninterrupted gas supply to industries at required gas pressure, RLNG issue and judicious distribution of gas to Sindh as per Article 158 could be extensively discussed and steps could accordingly be taken to minimize the hardships being faced by Karachi’s business community.
Siraj Teli, while briefing the PM about gas supply situation, informed that although the federal government has barred SSGC from shutting down gas supply to industries in Karachi for three months which the business and industrial community warmly welcomes but it has been observed nowadays that the utility service provider has deliberately resorted to reduce the gas pressure in an attempt to pressurize the existing consumers to switch over to RLNG which was terribly affecting the production of many industrial units. Therefore, SSGC must strictly be ordered to maintain ample gas pressure with a view to ensure smooth functioning of industries in Karachi, he stressed.
He was of the opinion that it was highly unfair to supply RLNG to industries in Karachi and Sindh as the province was blessed with sufficient gas reserves therefore, it doesn’t require RLNG which should be provided to those industries in other provinces which were not producing suffice gas and suffering severe gas shortages.
He further informed that KCCI’s delegation further advised the Prime Minister to abolish Trade Organizations Ordinance TOO-2013 and reinstate TOO-2007 with a view to completely eradicate fake/ bogus trade associations/ chambers so that actual and genuine representatives of the business and industrial community could come forward to properly guide the government in the policy-making process. “If the government wants to see economic growth in Pakistan, it has to focus on promoting the Small & Medium Enterprises (SMEs) who are the actual stakeholders”, he added.
Siraj Teli appreciated PM Imran Khan for accepting KCCI’s point of view about the anti-encroachment drive in Karachi which was being carried out in such a manner to target the poor people only whereas no action has been taken so far against huge encroachments at Shahrah-e-Faisal particularly those outside all the five-star hotels in Karachi. In response, PM Imran Khan stated that the government would approach the honorable court to explain the actual position in which the poor people have been targeted.
“We strongly suggested that those elements responsible for nurturing these encroachments and taking Bhatta or rentals from encroachers should be detained first as they are actually behind this disastrous situation”, he added.
Referring to severe water crises being faced by Karachi, he said that the Prime Minister directed the Federal Minister for Water Resources to look into this issues and get it resolved with a view to provide relief to the citizens and business community of Karachi.
