NewsMonday, March 17, 2008
Small businesses run into losses due to power cuts
By Irfan Aligi
KARACHI: Daily losses are piling up for small shops and businesses as load shedding gets longer and longer in the city. For example, the over 200 shops in Serena Mobile Mall located near Sakhi Hassan Chowrangi, Gulberg Town are facing load shedding during business hours from 4:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. H K Mobile Zone’s Imtiaz Ahmed told Daily Times that the total duration of load shedding in a day was eight hours, but its timing was unbearable because it was impossible for the customers to stay inside the market with no ventilation and high temperatures. He estimated an average minimum loss of Rs 15,000 per shop in one month. “These losses are a lot for small traders to bear and they might have to shut down,” he said, adding that many of them couldn’t pay salaries. Nazir from Cool Spot, a refreshment shop, told Daily Times that the load shedding has already caused him a loss of Rs 25,000 because all his ice cream stock melted and two of his deep freezers got burnt. Khan Ice Depot told Daily Times that summer used to be a flourishing season for the sale of ice but the load shedding has caused a heavy shortage of ice production and demand has not been met. On the other hand, the ice factories have increased rates of ice blocks by Rs 200. The intermittent and long power outage has also silenced many private chakki stones. Out of 1,250 operational atta chakkis in the city, a dozen or so in Gol Market, Nazimabad are struggling hard under the pressure of constant power outages. Many of them are contemplating closure. It is here that load shedding has threatened the livelihood of more than 150,000 people directly linked to the flour business. My Ideal Government Boys Lower Secondary School teachers told Daily Times that their time at school passes with great difficulty because of the load shedding. Poor ventilation inside classrooms and the scorching heat outside does not allow for a moment of rest. The students, who are constantly perspiring, ask for cool water but even that is not available. Ideal Composer and Photostat’s Adil told Daily Times that he is constantly struggling to complete his job. He is unable to compose letters for his clients and often, there is a power outage after the command for a print has been sent. “The clients do not pay for the service unless the printout has been delivered to them. This situation has made me think of taking another job but the problem of load shedding would still persist,” said a despondent Adil.
Courtesy Daily Times