Islamabad, June 17, 2021 (PPI-OT):Former President of Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI) Dr. Shahid Rasheed Butt on Thursday said opinion of masses and the business community regarding budget is changing. He said that hike in petroleum prices soon after budget is a mini-budget that will drain masses and the economy.

Shahid Rasheed Butt said that flour prices are expected to jump by rupees five per kg after imposition of turn over tax and sales tax which will result in restlessness among masses and it will intensify food security problem. Talking to the traders, he said that the nationwide power crisis has once again exposed the incompetence of power bureaucracy.

Load shedding of this magnitude is not acceptable in a country producing surplus electricity, and it cannot be attributed to anything except mismanagement and unfitness and they deserve punishment, he observed. Shahid Rasheed Butt said that load shedding has inflicted pain on masses across the country which has also provided an opportunity to the officials to benefit from while Islamabad is on the top in this regard.

He said that top power officials are explaining the reasons behind the crisis including maintenance in Tarbela Dam, diversion of 500 megawatts from the national grid to K-Electric, reduced supply to LNG and coal-based power plants but they are silent about the power theft, corruption, and mismanagement.

Explanations by top officials will not reduce sufferings of the masses, he said, adding that if maintenance is Tarbela Dam was necessary then why summer was preferred and why alternates were not explored like proper import of LNG and enough availability of coal at coal-fired plants were ensured.

For more information, contact:
Dr. Shahid Rasheed Butt
Consul General Ghana
Former President ICCI
Former Patron ICST
Tel: +92-333-5132199, +92-51-2822571