Pakistan Observer-------------------------------------Nov 03,2011
Karachi—Industrialists and businessmen are unwillingly thinking to move out of Pakistan due to prevailing law and order situation, high cost of doing business and ever increasing tariffs of power, gas and water. Chairman, Site Association of Industry (SAI), Mohammad Irfan Moton said that nothing was going in favour of the business community.
“The industrialists are repeatedly demanding of the government to bring down power and gas tariffs, normalize law and order situation, develop infrastructure so that the ailing industry would be able to recover. But no heeds is being paid to their repeated pleas,” he added.
He urged the government to take stock of the depressing situation and adopt measures to save the industry from collapse and refrain from announcing any further anti-business policy.
To a question, he said that against the total requirement of 25 MGD water, the Site industrial area had been allocated 8 MGD, but it was getting only three MGD water that was totally insufficient to meet the industries’ requirements. Irfan Moton termed the prevailing business and industrial conditions as ‘alarming’. Power tariff in Pakistan is around 30 percent higher as compared to other countries of the region, he pointed out.
“Roads in Site industrial area are in dilapidated condition, quality of work is so poor that it damages with overflow of sewerage lines,” he added.
To another question, Moton noted that out of 3000 industrial units in Site industrial area only 2200 were operating with low production. More and more units are going to close with passage of time due to unfavorable business conditions, he added. He said that efforts were being made to contact and persuade Managing Director Site Limited for improvement of the infrastructure. Unfortunately, the MD was not attending office since last two weeks due to some political issue, he added.