KCCI demands special package, Technology Park for Karachi

KARACHI: Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) President Muhammad Idrees has slammed the federal government for neglecting the port city and demanded to special package for the uplift of Karachi that is suffering from dilapidated infrastructure, lawlessness and unavailability of basic facilities including electricity, gas and water.

In a statement, KCCI President Muhammad Idrees slammed the federal government for ignoring Karachi. “The city continues to suffer badly due to dilapidated infrastructure, unavailability of gas, electricity and water followed by rising lawlessness,” he said.

The KCCI President Muhammad Idrees said in a statement that Interior Minister Sheikh Rasheed has never bothered to visit Karachi despite witnessing the rising lawlessness.

“The city’s infrastructure has been destroyed which makes it difficult for the citizens to travel to the industrial zones even on jeep. The port city is deprived of basic facilities despite contributing more than 65 per cent revenue to the national exchequer, 95pc to the provincial kitty and 54pc in terms of exports, whereas, the 14 elected Members of the National Assembly (MNAs) of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) from Karachi are not paying attention to resolve the issues of the citizens.”

Idrees further slammed the federal authorities, saying that the Large Taxpayers Office Karachi has surpassed the tax-collection milestone of Rs1 trillion in just eight months of the current fiscal year but the metropolis is not even receiving 10pc despite being contributing for so many years

“The industries of Karachi are deprived of gas despite playing a crucial role in remittances and exports as only 800 mmcfd gas is being supplied out of the actual demand of 1,100 mmcfd which is a clear injustice with this city when none other than Karachi is not facing gas load-shedding across the country.”

The KCCI president slammed the commerce ministry’s summary for providing relief to RLNG zero-rated sector industries only to the Sui Northern Gas but Sui Southern Gas was completely neglected. “The subsidy to the industries on RLNG is being provided from the tax revenue having the largest portion of the revenue collected from Karachi but the city is itself deprived of the relief.”

“The water share from K-IV project was also reduced from 650 MGD to 260 MGD that will increase the water crisis in Karachi. The federal government should restore the water share of 650 MGD to Karachi besides completing the project by meeting the deadline of October 2023.”

Muhammad Idress demanded the federal government to announce a special package for Karachi to resolve its infrastructural and other problems. He also demanded the federal government to announce establishing a Technology Park to continue the development of the IT sector in the country.

The KCCI president also asked all stakeholders and political parties to demand Prime Minister Imran Khan to pay attention to the Karachi issues that are in the national interests.

He censured the federal government for handing over the 1,250-acre of land at Port Qasim to the Ministry of Maritime Affairs that was allocated for Textile City instead of KCCI. The KCCI expressed fear that the land would be sold to unauthorized persons at higher prices.

Idrees reiterated his demand to PM Imran Khan to hand over Port Qasim’s Textile City land to KCCI that will be auctioned to the real industrialists.