ISLAMABAD - Contrary to any practical step, the Economic Monitoring Committee (EMC) Wednesday again directed the Petroleum Ministry to closely monitor oil and CNG prices in the market. The Economic Monitoring Committee, chaired by the Finance Minister, Syed Naveed Qamar, asked the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Resources to closely monitor the petroleum and CNG prices, "aiming to facilitate the people at large". The Economic Coordination Committee of the Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani, 28 days back authorized Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority to determine and monitor Compressed Natural Gas price for end consumers. The EMC also had already forwarded guidelines to the OGRA to determine CNG price at the outlets. Despite passing of considerable time, neither OGRA came up with a final price nor the Petroleum Ministry could ensure one selling price for the natural gas. The CNG outlets are selling the gas at two difference rates, making billions of rupees by fleecing the consumers. The CNG price fiasco started on July 1, when Petroleum Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi "mistakenly" announced 31 per cent increase in the CNG price instead of 13 per cent. Since then a few CNG outlets are selling the gas at Rs 43.86 per kg and majority is looting the consumers by charging Rs 48.36 per kg where the government has become a silent spectator. According to the government's own study, the natural gas distribution companies were providing gas at Rs 22 per kg to the outlets, which in return earning more than 52 per cent profit even after including all expenses. The government has given directions to the OGRA, national regulatory body, to ensure up to 20 per cent rate of return to the CNG outlets. The Monitoring Committee also took up the issue of urea fertilizer shortage and price issue. The Agriculture Ministry informed the EMC that the list of urea dealers has been communicated to provincial governments and DCOs to ensure efficient delivery system so that the crop yield related vital input reaches to the farmers well in time. The MINFAL further briefed the Committee that the government was in touch with relevant Saudi authorities for provision of additional 0.3 million tones of urea that would help meet the local demands. The NFC management, a urea producing company, also briefed the EMC about its existing 34 urea stores having a capacity of 26500 metric tones of urea storage for distribution through its networking. The EMC was informed that 50 more the NFC stores have been planned to enhance the urea storage capacity up to 1,75,000 metric tones for countrywide distribution through designated sales points. The officials briefed the EMC about urea's overall distribution planning, networking starting from seaport, moving down to bulk warehouses, temporary stores and finally the USC stores and their sales outlets. It takes maximum time of four days to reach the urea supply to farthest points in NWFP Province passing through Sindh and Punjab. The EMC directed the MINFAL and the NFC to double the sales outlets capacity to ensure farmers' convenience in a way that every tehsil has sales points reaching to the farmers. The Monitoring Committee authorized the NFC to distribute all imported urea along with existing stocks to farmers at affordable prices after approved calculations.