Businesses criticise ‘unaffordable’ tariff hike

As caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar meets power sector stakeholders in Quetta today (Sunday), businessmen have asked the PM to announce the withdrawal of what they term an unbearable rise in power tariff, to provide relief to the public at large, as well as the business community. In a joint statement, Businessmen Group (BMG) Chairman Zubair Motiwala, Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) President Mohammad Tariq Yousuf and other officebearers said the hike in power tariffs is unaffordable and unacceptable for the common man, as well as trade and industry. The government should withdraw the massive hike in the electricity tariff in the larger interest of the nation and the economy, they added. To devise a future plan of action on how to deal with the electricity tariff issue, the KCCI had also summoned a meeting of all trade and industrial associations and other stakeholders on Aug 28 (Monday), but when the caretaker prime minister called a meeting on this issue a day earlier, the KCCI leadership decided to Monday’s meeting, which will now be held later after reviewing the outcome of PM’s meeting.