ISLAMABAD - The All Pakistan CNG Association (APCNGA) on Thursday sought intervention of Prime Minister for resolving issues of the CNG sector.
Pervaiz Khan Khattak, who is the central chairman of the association, said CNG sector had been subjected to discrimination including low gas pressure, reducing its supply duration from 48 hours to only 18 hours a week, charging it Gas Infrastructure Development Cess(GIDC) at Rs 300 per MMBTU and reducing its share in gas by diverting to other sectors etc. He added the government should make sincere efforts to extend duration of gas supply for 12 hours a day from 5 am to 5 pm with allowing filling stations to operate for five days a week to facilitate masses. “If our demands are not met and issues continued to persist till July 10, the association would launch protest to protect rights of the masses and the business community who have invested Rs 4.5 billion worth investment in the industry,” he observed. Speaking on the occasion, the association’s chairman supreme council Ghiyas Paracha said 3.7 million vehicles had been converted to CNG and that 50,000 families were living on the CNG business, thus, he added, the association would go to the last resort by coming on roads to save the industry.
He alleged gas supply to CNG sector had been reduced while supply to captive power plants owned by 80 influential families of Punjab had been enhanced, which had adversely affected the CNG business, he added. He said that CNG sector which was paying highest taxes and tariff was deprived of natural gas which was being diverted to those addicted to subsidized gas despite the fact that all the sectors excluding CNG had alternative to operate on. He said the association had already meeting with Minister for Petroleum and Natural Resources Shahid Khaqan Abbasi but these yielded no fruitful results.
Replying to a question, he said, no deal had been made with the government, so far, regarding the LNG provision to the CNG sector, however, he added, when everything appeared on ground and once LNG was imported, then the same issue could be taken up. He said following import of the LNG, CNG sector could witness improvement and there would be adequate gas supply for masses to fill it in their vehicles.