All Pakistan CNG Association (APCNGA) and Karachi Transport Ittehad (KTI) on Thursday rejected the proposed hike in gas tariff for CNG sector. The two transport bodies also warned the government of staging sit-in in front of Sui Southern Gas Company's (SSGC's) head office on Monday, March 30, if the latter failed to withdraw the proposal to increase gas tariff.
Shabbir Sulaiman Gee, Chairman APCNGA Sindh Chapter, while addressing a press conference at Karachi Press Club (KPC) said that the ministry of petroleum has moved a summery to Economic Co-ordination Committee (ECC) to increase gas price despite the fact that the international crude oil prices drastically reduced from $120 to $ 45 per barrel during last several months. "We demand withdrawal of the proposal to increase gas tariff for the CNG sector from April, 1 2015," he said.
As per Ogra Ordinance, the revised notification of gas tariff can be issued on semi annual basis, ie, either on January 1st or July 1st of the fiscal year. In view of this, there seems no justification to increase the CNG tariff; rather there should be reduction in the prices due to the present scenario, he said.
He also accused SSGC of not supplying reasonable gas to CNG industry. "In last November, MD SSGC issued a letter that SSGC would close CNG for three days in a week under crisis situation in winter; however he promised that the two day schedule will be restored immediately after the winter. But surprisingly, today four months have passed from the date of the letter and instead of reverting back to the previous tow days schedule, SSGC have started announcing four days closure with remaining days causing extreme low pressures," he said.
He put forward following charter of demand :
We demand an immediate restoration of the earlier two days closure schedule in a week as per the written consent letter dated 15th November 2014 issued by SSGC.
We demand an immediate legal clarification on the Sartorial Priority Notification with respect to the recent Judgement passed by the Islamabad High Court vide W.P No 630 of 2013, declaring the present Notification as unconstitutional and restoring the Gas Load Management Policy 2005 under which both CNG and General Industries are placed at same Priority on Serial No 4 out of 6.
We demand that an immediate embargo and strict action against illegal CNG compressors and storage cascades being used in other sectors other than CNG, so as to control the alarming increase in the UFG.
We demand that all CNG stations operating in the SITE area be converted onto dedicated gas pipeline network in order to avoid extreme low pressures caused by the CNG stations in that locality.
President KTI, Irshad Bhukhari, on this occasion said that transporters and common people, who have invested billions of rupees for conversion of vehicles into CNG, are compelled to scrape their vehicles due to continuous gas load shedding by SSGC.
"If the Government failed to address the charter of demand, KTI and APCNGA would jointly stag peaceful protest in front of SSGC main office on Monday, March 30," Irshad warned.
Shakil A Baig of Consumer Rights Protection Council of Pakistan also spoke on this occasion.
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