ISLAMABAD: Ahsan Zafar Bakhtawari, President of the Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry, has expressed concerns that the government’s decision to increase electricity prices four times in just ten days to appease the International Monetary Fund (IMF) is both alarming and extremely harsh on the poor. This escalation in prices is making it increasingly difficult for people to sustain their livelihoods, and traders and industrialists are being deprived of their right to conduct business. He pointed out that the government’s policies are detrimental to business expansion, investment, unemployment reduction, inflation control, and achieving tax targets, which raises questions about how the government plans to collect taxes when the economy is faltering.
Addressing a business delegation at the Chamber House, Bakhtawari criticized the government for not consulting the business community before finalizing the budget, leading the country towards an economic crisis. He highlighted that inflation has left people struggling to pay utility bills, and the government is not targeting those who should be paying taxes, resulting in severe exploitation. He condemned the exemption given to tax defaulters, tax evaders, electricity thieves, and failed government institutions, which places the burden of their extravagance on taxpayers and the general public.
Bakhtawari noted that while the government has announced relief for users of 200 units, it has paradoxically spent millions on its publicity. He demanded that contracts with Independent Power Producers should not be renewed and that the provision of free electricity worth Rs. 300 billion to WAPDA employees should be discontinued immediately. He urged the government to adopt alternative energy resources like hydel and solar power to address the issue and emphasized that proper policy implementation and reforms in the electric power sector could help prevent future unrest and improve the overall situation.
He warned that if the government does not review its policies, doing business in the country will become increasingly difficult, exacerbating the suffering of the masses. Bakhtawari revealed that a meeting of all stakeholders will be convened at ICCI next week to devise a joint strategy to address the situation.
