Power and gas outages taking toll on exports

SIALKOT - A 50 percent decline in the total exports from Sialkot has been recorded as a result of the long-hours unscheduled load-shedding of electricity and gas. The dilemma has brought the production process at 90 percent of small and big industrial units in export-oriented Sialkot City to a standstill, forcing the industrialists and exporters to close down their units to avert further financial losses.
Sialkot Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) Vice President Dr Sarfraz Bashir disclosed this while talking to the newsmen here on Tuesday. He said that the 50 percent decline in total exports from Sialkot was tantamount detrimental for the industries, prior to the 2010 Football World Cup. Exporters here in this City are fast loosing export orders from foreign buyers as they are unable to meet the demands for timely manufacturing and dispatch of export consignments, he pointed out. He said that due to severe energy crisis in the country, the foreign buyers were diverting their export orders from Sialkot to India, china, Nepal, Thailand and Taiwan, which has become a point of grave concern for every one. He said that due these unavoidable circumstances, the Sialkot exporters and industrialist would begin shutdown their industrial units from January 10, 2010.
The SCCI VP said that despite time and again assurances by the Gepco Chief Executive, industries here in Sialkot had to brave power outages from 16 to 18 hours on daily basis. During his visit to the SCCI a few days ago, the Gepco CE had assured that load-shedding duration in all the citys 22 electricity feeders would be rationalised to facilitate the industrialists.
Meanwhile, all the main trade bodies including the SCCI have expressed grave concern over the unending power outages of power and gas in export-oriented Sialkot city. During an important meeting the trade bodies warned to go on strike if their problems were not resolved
They lamented over the 16 hours long unscheduled power load-shedding.
Former Chairman Surgical Instruments Manufacturers Association (SIMA) Sarfraz Ahmad Chaudhry pointed out in the meeting that the surgical industry had become to the brink of collapsing due to prolong power and gas load-shedding. He said that the rising POL prices had added to the miseries of the surgical industry.
Chairman Pakistan Hosiery Manufacturers Association (PHMA) North Zone Sialkot Dr Khurram Anwar Khawaja, SCCI President Muhammad Ishaq Butt, Chairman Pakistan Gloves Manufacturers & Exporters Association (PGMEA) Malik Naseer Akhtar, Chairman Pakistan Leather Garments Manufacturers & Exporters Association (PLGMEA) North Zone Sialkot Sheikh Muhammad Yaqub, Chairman Surgical Instruments Manufacturers Association (SIMA) of Pakistan Muhammad Zubair Bhatti, Chairman Pakistan Sports Goods Manufactures & Exporters Association (PSGMEA) Ziaur Rehman Chaudhary and former central Chairman of Pakistan readymade garments manufacturers & Exporters Association (PRGMEA) Ejaz A Khokhar attended the meeting.