SCCI fears blended gas policy to hit KP industries hard

PESHAWAR: Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) has said the proposed blended gas policy would hit the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa industries hard.

“This policy is unjust and deplorable which should be reviewed to keep the wheel of industry running,” said SCCI chief Fuad Ishaq. He said this during a meeting with members of All Pakistan Textile Mills Association at the Chamber, said a press release issued on Sunday.

The SCCI chief said terrorism and coronavirus pandemic lockdown had already hit industries of the province and the blended gas policy for industrial activities would lead to massive unemployment.

Earlier, textile mill owners said the federal government, after increasing gas prices by 193 per cent, was now mulling to impose the blended gas policy, which they believed was an injustice to the business community and industrialists of the province such as KP which was producing surplusgas gas.

During the discussion, the SCCI chief said the government plans to supply natural gas to KP by implementing a blended gas policy with a ratio of 80/20 under which gas rates will surge for different sectors in the province.

Apart from implementation of the blended policy, Fuad Ishaq said RLNG rates would also be enforced on KP. He said if done that would be an injustice to this province, and a complete negation of Article 158-A that gave guarantee to KP that it should first use its indigenous natural resources.

The SCCI chief said not a single industrial gas connection was given to KP over the past 13 years, contrary to that industrial gas connections were provided in Punjab, which smacks of a discriminatory attitude. He said the terrorism and coronavirus pandemic lockdown made KP industries suffer while the industries in the province were facing several other difficulties such as location far away from the seaport and central market.

“The KP industries will face a closure after the recent increase by 193 per cent gas prices, and with the imposition of the blended gas policy which will lead to massive unemployment in the province,” feared the SCCI chief.

Fuad Ishaq pointed out that the total gas production of KP was approximately 400mmcfds against its 200mm cfds consumption. He said despite the fact that gas was being provided at higher rates to consumers of the province, which was a violation of the Article 158-A.