President of SITE Association of Industry Suleman Chawla, in a press statement, has lodged strong protest over prolonged load shedding and allowing K-Electric to charge quarterly Fuel Cost Adjustment of 2.89 rupees per unit. He has questioned the Economic Coordination Committee to clarify who is dearer to them: K-Electric or trade & Industry. Criticizing the decision of the ECC, Chawla said that general public as well as the business & industrial community was of the view that K-Electric will be lashed out by the government for prolonged load shedding, not keeping the promises made and failing to produce required electricity, but contrary to it, the federal government has ‘rewarded’ K-Electric by allowing to collect FCA @ 2.89 per unit from Karachiites which is quite surprising.”Business & industrial community will continue to protest and raise voice against all the wrong doings of K-Electric”, he added. Suleman Chawla further said that Corona pandemic has deadly effected trade & industrial activities of Karachi. The business & industrial community is still facing great difficulties in normalizing their businesses and in this scenario, making electricity costlier and allowing K-Electric to produce less electricity due to furnace oil issue, will mean nothing but a move to totally destroy industries. The President SITE Association said that unannounced load shedding is being carried out in all parts of Karachi including 8 hours’ load shedding in industrial areas which is not only making the lives of Karachiites miserable amid hot & humid weather and corona pandemic but also hampering industrial production.Recalling postponement of NEPRA hearing on 23rd June 2020 to decide FCA matter, Suleman Chawla said that the said Online hearing was postponed at the eleventh hour without prior information to which, the industries protested and expressed apprehension that NEPRA might silently allow K-Electric to collect FCA from consumers as per past practice, which today proved true.Suleman Chawla has appealed the Prime Minister of Pakistan Mr. Imran Khan to take notice of this matter and issue instructions to K-Electric to withdraw FCA of 2.89 rupees forthwith besides directing K-Electric not to resort to load shedding in summer season, enabling Karachi people to fight corona and run their businesses following SOPs.
