LAHORE - Senior Political Assistant of Chief Minister Punjab and former Member of National Assembly, Pervez Malik has said that massive electricity loadshedding has already crippled the economic activities in the country and further increase in electricity tariff by the government would be proved last nail in the coffin of industry sector while common man would also buried alive.
In a Statement issued here Wednesday, Pervez Malik said that government has agreed with the International Financial Institutions and other International Financial Institutions to raise power tariff without considering its very bad effects on economy, industry and common man. He said there is no logic to raise the power tariff at the time when people are facing more than 16 hours load shedding daily. He said despite taking steps to curtail the electricity shortage, government is planning to suck the blood of masses by raising the power tariff.
He said that nation is already much annoyed and protesting on roads as government has put their interests on stake while following the orders of IMF and other IFIs and more increase in power tariff would put more fuel on fire.
He said that rise in power tariff would further increase the industrial input cost which is already very high than the competitors like China, Indian and Bangladesh. He said that Pakistani merchandise are already suffering hard to compete in the international market and if government follows the directions of IMF and other IFIs, Pakistani products would be nowhere in the international market.
http://www.nation.com.pk/pakistan-news-newspaper-daily-english-online/Business/23-Jul-2009/Massive-loadshedding-cripples-economic-activities