Kalabagh merits having a steel mill: Raza Khan

Chairman Coordination, FPCCI Raza Khan on Sunday has said that Kalabagh merits having big steel mill as the area has significant iron ore deposits.

“Government has long been neglecting exploiting ten thousand million tones of proven deposits since a decade which is not in the national interest,” he said.

“Kalabagh can be home of the second largest steel mill which will not only boost economy but also provide jobs to thousands of people living in that under-developed area,” he said.

Talking to industrialists at Hattar Industrial Estate, he said that government should establish a steel mill in Kalabagh which will also save precious foreign exchange wasted on import of scrap.

Raza Khan said that despite around 600 units, our industry is to go a long way to develop finished products of international quality, adding that per capital consumption of steel is around 36 kg which is discouraging as that global average intake stands at 198 kg.

“Limited consumption shows that infrastructure growth in our country is sluggish,” he said.

The frequent problems faced by Pakistan Steel Mills, the largest industrial unit in Pakistan could be tackled through establishing small steel mills at different localities, he said.

Raza said that prices of steel should be realistic and millers should get relaxation on taxes imposed on their electricity bills as power is used as raw material in melting and re-rolling units.

“The supply of electricity and gas to the furnaces should be increased while unscheduled load shedding is also a major factor for losses. Authorities should give advance notices for any load shedding,” he demanded.