LAHORE – Chief Executive Officer (CEO) LESCO Ch Muhammad Amin has assured All Pakistan Textile Mills Association (APTMA) Punjab Chairman Abdul Rahim Nasir that LESCO will ensure that all industry in general and export industry in particular gets electricity supply without any interruptions or power fluctuations.
He said this while talking to APTMA delegation led by Abdul Rahim Nasir, chairman. Aamir Sheikh, senior vice chairman, APTMA Punjab, and Mohammad Raza Baqir, Secretary General and Executive Director APTMA, were also present.
Rahim Nasir apprised LESCO management that the present capping of 5MW for B3 industrial consumers and requirement for separate grid connection for load beyond 5 MW is obstructing further investment. Even meagre additional load of 500kW to 1MW entails heavy investment and financial cost. Due to excess electricity and acute gas shortage in the country, federal government is now pushing industry to switch over to grid based electricity and offering incentives like reduced tariff on incremental electricity consumption.
With a view to facilitate exporters and to enable them to meet growing demand of export orders, APTMA proposed that the grid ceiling may kindly be enhanced from 5 MW to 6.5 MW for B3 industrial consumers. This small gesture will go a long way in boosting up exports, augmenting foreign exchange earnings and creating additional employment opportunities.
LESCO management understanding the gravity of the situation endorsed the demand for considerably enhancing the grid ceiling and advised APTMA to submit the proposal to NEPRA for across the board implementation of the policy. He assured APTMA of all out support by LESCO on this issue subject to technical capacities.
On the proposal of APTMA, CEO LESCO agreed that the maintenance period schedule would be prepared in consultation with APTMA and all mills would be informed in advance about any such maintenance closures. Ch Amin, CEO LESCO, further announced that there would be no loadshedding, power shut down or voltage fluctuations for the industry. He appreciated the role of textile sector in upsurging exports of the country despite adverse effects of Covid 19 and committed to go all out to resolve any power related issues of export oriented industry. Rahim Nasir acknowledged the role of LESCO in facilitating the industrial consumers and expressed the hope that a business friendly approach of the government agencies would materialize the vision of Prime Minister Imran Khan regarding increase in exports.
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