SCCI wants raise in power tariff withdrawn

PESHAWAR: Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) has expressed concern over the frequent increase in power tariffs and suspension of natural gas supply to industries.

In a statement issued here on Monday, SCCI President Sherbaz Bilour criticized the government over the increase in the rates of electricity, thus putting an additional burden of Rs200billion on consumers.

He added the frequent increase in electricity tariffs would escalate production cost of industries, besides the trader community would be unable to payout high electricity bills amid the prevalent Covid-19 situation.

The SCCI chief said the fresh increase in power tariffs reflected anti-business policy, recalling that the government had announced to waive off electricity bills of traders affected by Covid-19 lockdown, but the promise was never materialized. He feared that unavailability of basic utilities, like gas and electricity, would lead the economy to a collapse and trigger massive unemployment in the country.

Sherbaz Bilour asked the government to take steps for mitigating problems of the business community instead of multiplying their miseries by enforcement of “anti-business’ policies.”He demanded the federal government to withdraw forthwith the recent hike in electricity tariff and to ensure uninterrupted power supply to industries across the province.