KARACHI: President Karachi Chamber of Commerce & Industry (KCCI) Iftikhar Ahmed Sheikh has said that only those issues brought forcefully into the limelight either through street protests or strikes receive some attention whereas some of the most perturbing macro issues particularly the unbearably high energy tariffs, rising cost of doing business and excessive taxes etc. were not receiving due attention which has triggered a lot of anxiety not only amongst members of business community but also amongst people from all walks of life.
“It is really worrisome that KCCI and several other trade bodies along with Chambers of Commerce from all over Pakistan have been constantly issuing appeals, holding press conferences and issuing media statements from time to time so that the government could convinced to take steps to provide relief but unfortunately, the business community continues to wait for the desperately needed relief.”, said Iftikhar Sheikh, adding that immediate relief was only seen when the inhabitants of Azad Jammu Kashmir came out on streets to strongly demand reduction in electricity tariff which was instantly done and the demands were again fulfilled when flour mills and petrol dealers observed strikes but all the legitimate demands of the respectable members of business community including the most recent demand to renegotiate agreements with Independent Power Producers (IPPs) were not receiving any heed.
While appreciating Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif for holding discussions with KCCI time and again and always holding meetings with Chamber’s delegation whenever he visited Karachi, President KCCI said that the Finance Minister, on the other hand, never responds to KCCI letters for meeting and usually comes up with the same excuse that ‘IMF does not agree’. “As we are under tremendous pressure, we appeal that the government must take serious note of the situation before it’s too late”, he added.
He said that members of business community, while seeking KCCI’s assistance in dealing with issues, feel that under the present circumstances the only option left was to go for strikes, stage sit-ins and take out protest rallies as publishing appeals, hoisting protest banners & black-flags and holding press conferences etc. have not yielded any positive result, hence, they were pressurizing KCCI to call a strike. “As KCCI never supports street protests and strikes, we are constantly requesting our members to stay calm and we will try our best to get numerous issues resolved through table-talks but the government must hold negotiations at the earliest as we won’t be able to hold the agitated businessmen, small traders, industrialists and exporters for long”, he added.
He reiterated that despite so many odds, the Karachi Chamber was still not in favour of observing strikes as this would create a disastrous situation for poor segment of society particularly daily wagers and other workers who are already pretty concerned about losing their earnings. He requested the government to realize the consequences of strikes and protests which would badly injure the already ailing economy, therefore, it has become inevitable to hold consultations to mutually come up with solutions to all the issues being faced by the industry, economy and the poor public.
He said that there were many likeminded businessmen who would prefer not go for strikes or protests but they may opt for shifting businesses outside Pakistan which would intensify complications for the economy due to flight of capital.
He also stressed that the alarming situation calls for extensive relief measures on war-footing basis to ensure that the wheels of industry continue to spin otherwise, our beloved country, which is already fighting hard for economic survival, would be plunged into the darkness of anarchy as the jobless and poor segment of society with empty stomachs will come out on streets which would trigger a host of other issues and unmanageable challenges for the government.