Industrial Sector Suffering Like A Cancer Patient Due To Gas Crisis

Due to the continuous gas supply crisis and high gas prices, the country’s textile and ready-made garments sector has become like a cancer patient.

- Mohammad Hatem

The industry is surviving in a deteriorating state, just like a cancer patient. Along this painful journey, some factories are dying, and others are becoming increasingly weak. To keep the wheels of industry running, there is no alternative to a steady gas supply at proper pressure. Moreover, the price must be competitive. With the latest gas tariff, expanding existing industries or establishing a new one is impossible.

The gas crisis in the industrial sector has been persisting for a long time. At a recent meeting with the Energy Adviser, you were assured of getting 250 MMCFD more gas for industry. A week has passed since then. Has there been any improvement in gas supply?

The gas crisis in industry is not new. It has been going on for more than three years. We, the entrepreneurs, have helplessly watched our production being disrupted. As a result, we met with the Energy Adviser to find a solution. He showed sincerity in addressing the crisis and promised to divert gas from grid power and increase LNG supply by 250 million cubic feet per day (MMCFD) to industries. Since then, the situation has improved slightly. The gas pressure improved from 0-0.5 PSI to around 3-4 PSI. We hope that once the promised supply is ensured, the situation will improve further.

What kinds of problems are industries facing due to the gas crisis? And how are you dealing with it?

We use gas in boilers, dryers, and other process operations. On the other hand, due to the government's failure to provide consistent, quality electricity, we had to invest in generating our own power. So, we need gas both for production processes and for captive power generation.