KARACHI: The Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) on Thursday called a nationwide strike on Friday against the inflated electricity bills which were neither affordable to trade and industry nor to the common man.

Addressing a well-attended emergent meeting of KCCI and representatives of all commercial markets and industrial town associations, Chairman Businessmen Group (BMG) Zubair Motiwala appealed to the business community to express complete solidarity with the KCCI by becoming part of the strike to compel the government to pay attention towards the hardships being faced by the businessmen, shopkeepers, small industries, SMEs and the poor masses due to skyrocketing inflation.

Mr Zubair was of the view that the electricity tariff could be brought down within the IMF’s conditions and the KCCI can submit recommendations to the government in this regard which if effectively implemented would bring down per unit cost by at least Rs12.

High power tariff has pushed up the cost of doing business to an all-time high, making Pakistani exportable goods uncompetitive on the international markets besides jacking up prices of household goods beyond the reach of the common man.

At current power tariffs and inflated bills, it is impossible to run the industries, shops and even the houses. He held the caretaker government equally responsible for the current unbearable wave of inflation as neither the government was holding any negotiations with IPPs to bring the electricity tariff being provided at an excessively high rate of 17 cents nor the taxes being reduced.

Referring to his meeting with the energy minister on Wednesday, Mr Zubair said that a solution for dealing with high electricity tariffs based on five key points has been given to the government.

“We hope that the government will pay attention to our suggestions which will result in providing some relief to the entire nation,” he said. The government should enhance units of lifeline users from the existing 200 units to 400 units to give some relief to a large number of people, he added.

Governor Sindh Kamran Khan Tessori, who joined the meeting via Zoom from abroad, assured the trade and industry people of holding a meeting with the caretaker prime minister to amicably resolve the electricity tariff issue.

Published in Dawn, September 1st, 2023