KARACHI: Chairman Businessmen Group (BMG) Zubair Motiwala and President Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) Muhammad Idrees appreciating Prime Minister for taking notice of public and business community’s complaints/protests on inflated electricity bills, underscored that exorbitantly high electricity tariffs need to be rationalised as suggested increased electricity tariffs would prove disastrous for trade, industry, SMEs and public. In a joint statement, they said that business community was grateful to PM Shehbaz Sharif for taking cognisance of electricity tariff but while we would like to apprise that abnormal increase would actually prove to be a disaster for industries, especially Small and Medium Size Enterprises who are purely dependent on electricity and no alternate source including gas was available to these energy-starved SMEs.

Country badly needs SMEs who must be promoted at any cost as it is a well-known fact that SMEs are backbone of any country’s economy so supporting SMEs should be highest priority of government, they added. We urge Prime Minister that this needs a rational exercise and carefully looked into because it can prove to be fatal for many industries and would lead to enhancing unemployment across Pakistan while exports will also suffer badly from this behest.” They appealed Prime Minister to look into NEPRA matters as many decisions taken by NEPRA were purely against consumers and in recent history, regulator has never favoured consumers.  In end, they reiterated that all actions taken by NEPRA should be remanded back and those in pipeline should also be stopped forthwith.

Published in The Daily National Courier, August, 25 2022

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