PESHAWAR - Accusing government of sending excessive bills to electricity consumers, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa business community on Thursday demanded an immediate return of a huge volume of over-billing or formally adjusting it in utilities bills in future.
Tactically, government issued inflated bills of Rs70 billion. It is an unjustice with consumers and reflected anti-people policies of the rulers, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KPCCI) President Fawad Ishaq said while speaking at a news conference.
It was completely out of context to send massive bills to consumers. Stop over billing and return the amount of Rs.70 billion to power consumers forthwith, he said. Business cost has substantially increased just because of soaring power tariff. Besides others, vice chairman KP-BOIT Mohsin Aziz, former presidents of the chamber Dr Mohammad Yousaf Sawar, Ghazanfar Bilour, Sharafat Ali Mubarak, along with traders, renowned industrialists and members of the chamber executive bodies were also present on the occasion.
Fawad Ishaq said government was planning to further increase power tariff but there was not justification of it in future, saying prices of petroleum products have been slashed in global market, while prices of daily stuff have gone up, government should take note and control it by taking certain solid steps.
Regarding issues being faced by KPK business community, he held both federal and provincial governments equally responsible, saying that law and order is still a major issue. No tangible steps have been taken to cope with deteriorating situation, kidnapping for ransom and growing tendency of sending of ‘parchi’ by extortion mafia to traders and businessmen of the province.
He said that it was a right time to announce a comprehensive fiscal relief package for the revival of terrorism affected businesses in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Besides demanded up-gradation and strengthening of existing industrial estates. He urged the provincial government to allot land for establishing a proposed new industrial estate at Rashakai locality adjacent to Peshawar Motorway.
Expressing concern over a ban on issuance of new gas connections to industrial and domestic consumers, Ishaq termed it unconstitutional and illegal saying KPK has been producing surplus gas which is about 500 mmcf from all gas fields to the country against its own demand which is less than 200mmcf.
He said that government should ensure uninterrupted supply of gas and power to industries in the province. The KPCCI has proposed in the new industrial policy to implement five working days instead of six working days.
Fawad Ishaq called upon commercial banks to make maximum lending, rather emphasising on swelling their deposits and extend soft loans on easy terms to trade and business communities so that to support the terrorism-hit businesses in the province. He expressed concern over minimising number of PIA flights from Peshawar to Karachi, canceling flights to Kuwait and Malaysia from Peshawar as well.
He said that he would try his level best to achieve his targets in his tenure which included enhancing of trade relations with Islamic states, close liaison with government and financial institutions, serious efforts for addressing the concern on new ATTA and resolving income tax issues.