KARACHI – Capt. A Moiz Khan, patron-in-chief, North Karachi Association of Trade and Industry (NKATI) and President Naseem Akhtar has said that Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC) has found a new way to harass industrialists despite the severe economic crisis caused by the Coronavirus epidemic and has issued notices to export-oriented industries to obtain certificate from Commissioner-Inland Revenue and provide before July 20, 2020 for the validation of zero rating status to avail reduced gas tariff.
“In notices to the registered manufacturers and exporters of 5 zero rated sectors (textile, carpet, sports and surgical equipment), SSGC threatened that if the certificate was not submitted within the stipulated time, otherwise SSGC will revise gas tariff and apply normal tariff i.e. Rs. 1,021/- per MMBTU”, NKATI leaders pointed out.
In a statement, Capt. A Moiz Khan and Naseem Akhtar has strongly protested against the threatening notices sent to the industrialists by Sui Southern Gas and requested Prime Minister Imran Khan to take notice.
NKATI leaders said that due to coronavirus epidemic, industries have already been shut down, exporters and industrialists are facing severe financial crisis. Instead of helping in this difficult time, it has started harassing the industrialists.
Capt. A. Moiz Khan and Naseem Akhtar said that Prime Minister Imran Khan was taking steps to provide facilities to exporters, especially to the 5 zero rated sectors in the troubled economy, for which the industrial community is grateful. they said that zero rated industries already notified in SSGC then why need certificate from FBR, but it seems that SSGC is hurdling in export-oriented industries because they want focus in business not involve in un productive working.
“SSGC had issued notices to the industrialists on July 12 and the industrialists have been given very little time to submit the certificate while how is it possible to get the certificate from the FBR in such a short period of time due to Coronavirus epidemic? Perhaps the SSG wants the three-day work to be done in one day and the industrial community to risk getting out of the factories in the presence of Corona, even though the work should have been given at least 30 days”, they added.
NKATI leaders have sought help from Prime Minister Imran Khan to stop SSGC from harassing industrialists and withdraw notices issued to registered manufacturers and exporters of 5 zero rated sectors (textile, carpet, sports and surgical equipment), so that the production activities of lockdown affected export-oriented industries can be restored and domestic exports also.
