APCNGA blames Govt and Ogra for CNG crisis

Lahore: The All Pakistan CNG Association (APCNGA) said on Wednesday the greed of the government and mismanagement as well as stubborn attitude of the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (Ogra) is behind the crisis of Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) in the country.

Supreme Court has directed to reduce price of gas and cut taxes for CNG sector so that prices could be brought down by Rs 20 per kg but Ogra reduced price by Rs 31 per kg which contributed to bankruptcy of many CNG owners and paved the way for crisis that hindered everyday transport across the country, it said.

We are facing unbearable losses since 34 days while the gas and electricity connections of many filling stations have been disconnected by owing to inability of owners to pay utility bills, said Central Chairman of APCNGA Muhammad Abid Hayat in a statement issued here today.

It is impossible for station owners to sell gas at the current prices and meet stations’ operational costs; no one can afford to continue business, he added.

He said that government is not ready to compromise on its profit while it has shifted the entire burden to CNG stations which is a well-orchestrated conspiracy against the sector providing economical fuel to masses.

Certain influential quarters want friction between CNG sector and masses to eventually force people to buy costly imported fossil fuel, said Abid Hayat.

He said that this conspiracy is aimed to benefit many including influential liquid gas mafia, powerful oil mafia and those who want additional imports of petrol worth billions to secure their commission on the cost of country, masses and economy.

He said that CNG sector has always resisted upward revision in prices, it has protested such moves, called strikes and faced jails.

He said adding that during the current year in the months of January, April and June, the CNG station owners have protested along with masses and transporters against the price hike.

Central Chairman of APCNGA Muhammad Abid Hayat further said that the Chief Justice Pakistan Muhammad Iftikhar Chaudhry recently took note of hike in the price of CNG and issued directives that were welcomed by all in country.

However, government taking advantage of the situation created confusion to meet its own objectives which will be never accepted.

He said that APCNGA wants to sell CNG on economical rates but we are not able to run businesses in loss.

Government should introduce uniform gas price and taxation to bring crisis to an end but it is not ready to accept any reduction in the windfall.

He said that three practical options to rationalise pricing have already been forwarded to authorities which have fallen on deaf ears proving that authorities are not ready to provide any relief to masses.

The APCNGA demanded an immediate and peoples friendly and resolution-oriented decision to avoid closure of businesses and bring situation to normal.