CNG sector important partner in national development: Shahid Khaqan Abbasi

Lahore: Federal Minister for Petroleum and Natural Resources, Shahid Khaqan Abbasi on Saturday said CNG sector has remained an important stakeholder in the national development which cannot be ignored under any set of circumstances.

Government will leave no stone unturned to promote the Rs 450 billion CNG sector which is providing jobs to millions, helping reduce oil import bill, keeping environment clean, and contributing billions in taxes while serving the poor, he said.

Speaking to a conference titled, My Fuel CNG 2013, organised by the All Pakistan CNG Association (APCNGA), Shahid Khaqan Abbasi lauded to move of APCNGA to help government in realising LNG import plans which will subside energy crisis.

The federal minister said that LNG is the best possible solution to the energy crisis in the short-term while the Iranian gas is the cheapest one.

He said that no country in the world can undermine the importance of the CNG, adding that we are trying to add two billion cubic feet of the gas in the system within two years.

Abbasi noted that demand on natural gas has been rising while the production is not enough to satisfy all the sectors consuming gas. In such a difficult situation, the support lent by APCNGA is highly praiseworthy, he observed.

He said that APCNGA is an efficient and effective body which has transformed Pakistan into world’s No. 1 CNG consuming country where half of the vehicle population has been converted on environmentally friendly and economical fuel.

The minister reiterated that government will not discriminate against any sector or allow closure of any venture.

He said that nation has been paying price of the inaction of the former governments which has paved way for the crisis while different private organisations, NGOs and long-drawn-out legal disputes have also played their role.

Those who delayed power projects as well as important decisions have damage the national economy and they are criminals but there is no law to try them, he lamented.

He said that the incumbent government is transparent which can commit mistakes but have no ill intentions adding that we don’t believe in refusal to face reality and burying head in sand like an ostrich.

Earlier, Ghiyas Abdullah Paracha, Chairman Supreme Council APCNGA and others said that CNG industry is the backbone of economy which must be promoted. They said that import of LNG and enabling policies will attract an additional investment of Rs 350 billion in the sector guaranteeing clean environment, millions of jobs and billions in revenue.