Karachi: At an emergency press conference, Johar Kandhari, President of the Korangi Association of Trade and Industry (Kati), called for the immediate release of a 33 billion rupee subsidy designated for Karachi’s industries. This demand comes in response to what Kati describes as discriminatory practices that have left the city’s industrial sector severely deprived compared to others across the nation.

According to Korangi Association of Trade and Industry, the government had allocated a total of 42 billion rupees for industrial recovery post-COVID, spanning three years. However, Kati claims that Karachi has only received 9 billion out of its expected share, resulting in a shortfall of 33 billion rupees. The association pointed out that due to this discrepancy, Karachi’s industries are forced to sell their products at reduced prices, placing them at a competitive disadvantage.

The press conference highlighted additional financial burdens, such as exclusive surcharges applied to Karachi’s electricity consumers. Kandhari emphasized that these surcharges are contributing to the cost of electricity for Karachi’s industries being significantly higher than the rest of the country, effectively double in some comparisons. He criticized the Power Holding Limited (PHL) and other surcharges for exacerbating the financial strain on local industries by charging extra fees that are not imposed on other Pakistani consumers.

Kandhari proposed a solution to alleviate the city’s industrial costs by utilizing excess gas from the Mari field to generate cheaper electricity for Karachi. He argued that this could reduce electricity costs significantly, making the city’s industries more sustainable and competitive. The Kati president called on the Federal Minister for Energy and the Minister of State to end the disparities and support Karachi’s industrial sector by resolving ongoing disputes with K-Electric and releasing the promised subsidies.