Post Reply 
 
Thread Rating:
  • 0 Vote(s) - 0 Average
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
Gas, power outages: Glass industry in quagmire
04-15-2009, 08:36 AM
Post: #1
Gas, power outages: Glass industry in quagmire
By Nauman Tasleem

LAHORE: Around fifty percent of glass industry has suspended its activities while the remaining units on the verge of closure due to gas and power loadshedding, the industry’s representatives told Daily Times Tuesday.

The worst hit are the industry in Punjab and NWFP, where SNGPL deals the supply while in Sindh there is no such issue.

They said 80 percent of the production process depends upon gas and eight units in Punjab and NWFP has suspended their industrial activity out of 16 industrial units due to complete gas closure by the Sui Northern Gas.

Around 20,000 people have become unemployed so far and if the current situation continued, the remaining industry would shut down thus increasing unemployment and lost of revenue to the government.

Chairman Pakistan Glass Manufacturers Association, (PGMA) Tariq Baig said entire developed world especially USA, Europe, China and India are encouraging glass industry, while the established Pakistani glass industry stands crippled due to gas closure, high taxation and load shedding.

He said the glass production furnaces in Pakistan, which have the capacities of 100-150 tonne per day production, were severely affected due to shortage of gas supply.

“Frequent power breakdowns forced the cooling and unscheduled closures in the furnaces resulting in wasted raw material, low quality of output and damage to the furnaces.”

He said entire developed world especially USA, Europe, China and India are encouraging glass industry, while the established Pakistani glass industry stands crippled due to gas closure, high taxation and load shedding.

An industry representative, Omar Baig said, “Glass industry is a continuous process industry and gas constitutes the lifeline of its production”.

The gas curtailment or disconnection is tantamount to throttling it to death and power loadshedding added fuel to the fire.

He said during winter, SNGPL and WAPDA carried out regular loadshedding and it played havoc with the glass industry.

Baig said glass manufacturers are forced to switch to the furnaces oil but the entire production-lines, glass making equipment, annealing and other sensitive machinery can only operate on gas.

There is zero production during gas load shedding while the glass industry is forced to continue meeting the total cost of inputs just to keep the furnaces alive, he added.

Another representative of glass industry said a total of 2,000 million metric cubic feet (MMCFD) of gas is available to Sui Northern per day. “The gas requirement for Punjab and NWFP industries is only 16 MMCFD.

He said the government should not bracket the glass industry with other industrial units because glass industry needs continuous gas supply.

SNGPL spokesman said the company prefers the domestic consumers and it is the reason the gas supply to the industry is suspended.

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp...009_pg5_10
Find all posts by this user
Quote this message in a reply
Post Reply 


Possibly Related Threads...
Thread: Author Replies: Views: Last Post
  Pakistan’s Cement Industry Reports Slight Increase LRE-Azan 0 639 02-08-2023 06:44 PM
Last Post: LRE-Azan
  Real Estate Industry in Pakistan Needs Tax Reforms for Growth and Prosperity LRE-Azan 0 796 01-20-2023 06:53 PM
Last Post: LRE-Azan
  Shahbaz Sharif for promoting investment, industry Salman 0 4,604 06-24-2013 11:38 AM
Last Post: Salman
  No industry allowed in residential areas: LDA Salman 0 4,117 02-15-2012 01:24 PM
Last Post: Salman
  Mutual funds industry crosses Rs 300bn mark Salman 0 3,692 12-21-2011 01:25 PM
Last Post: Salman
  Township industry warns of protest against outages Lahore_Real_Estate 0 3,744 09-30-2011 05:40 PM
Last Post: Lahore_Real_Estate
  ICCI President urges development of recycling industry Lahore_Real_Estate 0 3,643 08-08-2011 02:31 PM
Last Post: Lahore_Real_Estate
  Gas supply to Punjab industry suspended Lahore_Real_Estate 0 3,860 12-13-2010 01:31 PM
Last Post: Lahore_Real_Estate
  Poultry industry suffered Rs eight billion loss due to floods Lahore_Real_Estate 0 3,971 10-28-2010 03:16 PM
Last Post: Lahore_Real_Estate
  KARACHI: Revision in property valuation to hurt construction industry Lahore_Real_Estate 0 4,668 07-19-2010 12:51 PM
Last Post: Lahore_Real_Estate
  Problems of Giddani Ship Breaking Industry Labour LRE 1 5,791 07-09-2010 05:31 PM
Last Post: LRE
  Govt. urged to not create hurdlers for trade and industry; PIAF LRE 0 3,374 05-13-2010 05:55 PM
Last Post: LRE
  Yamaha to invest $15 million in motorcycle industry Lahore_Real_Estate 0 4,088 03-27-2010 11:51 AM
Last Post: Lahore_Real_Estate
  Agro Based Industry can Generate Billions of Dollars LRE 0 4,235 02-03-2010 11:54 AM
Last Post: LRE
  Leather Industry Suffering LRE 0 3,922 01-27-2010 11:39 AM
Last Post: LRE
  Lahore: Massive power outages hit City again LahoreEstate 0 4,309 12-20-2009 10:33 AM
Last Post: LahoreEstate
  ABAD seeks govt support to revive construction industry LahoreEstate 0 3,091 12-16-2009 10:24 AM
Last Post: LahoreEstate
  Cottage Industry & Pakistan LRE 0 5,243 12-15-2009 09:32 PM
Last Post: LRE
  Karachi: Housing industry demands affordable financial assistance LahoreEstate 0 3,340 11-21-2009 04:52 AM
Last Post: LahoreEstate
  Housing industry demands affordable financial assistance Naveed Yaseen 0 3,034 11-20-2009 09:06 AM
Last Post: Naveed Yaseen

Forum Jump:


User(s) browsing this thread: 1 Guest(s)