The government has decided to promote CNG fuel across the country aimed to scale down petrol consumption. This was stated by Malik Khuda Baksh, Chairman CNG Stations Owners Association of Pakistan (CSOPA) while speaking at a joint press conference along with M. Naeem Qureshi, Chairman, Organising Committee and A. Sami Khan, President CNG Dealers Association of Pakistan (CNGDAP) here on Thursday.
He said that government was spending huge amount to import petroleum products therefore CNG fuel sector was being facilitated and developed rapidly, aimed to save huge amount besides providing pollution free environment.
Commenting on growing trend of using CNG, he said that Pakistan would officially be announced as the largest CNG consuming country in the world within next two month. According to association's statistic 1700 CNG stations are operational while 4000 CNG stations have been approved to be installed and 1.6 millions cars have been converted on CNG across country, he said. Although Pakistan has left behind Brazil in using compressed gas, who has 1400 CNG stations and 1.4 millions converted cars, he added.
He said that industry was providing fuel at 50 percent lower rates aimed to facilitate the end-consumers besides making efforts to ensure pollution-free environment in the country. CNG industry has saved Rs 2.2 billion foreign exchange in terms of oil imports last year, he said and hoped that it would save about Rs 3 billion during this year, as vehicles conversion onto the CNG fuel based system are on the rapid rise in the country. He lauded the commencement of conversion of old diesel buses into environment friendly fuel is a positive initiative. City District Government Karachi in this regard has assigned a task to convert 50 diesel buses to CNG and it would cost almost 0.2 million for a bus conversion.
"Association will set a target to convert 50,000 buses per annum, if they successfully convert 50 buses in first phase", he said. Naeem Qureshi said that they were organising 4th International Conference and Exhibition on CNG Industry 2007 on 27 -28 October at Expo Centre Karachi, which is aimed to promote CNG as an alternative and environment friendly fuel in the country besides promoting CNG conversion of heavy vehicles especially urban transport to protect environment.
This exhibition is being organised by National Forum for Environment and Health (NFEH), CSOPA and CNGDAP while Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Resources, Ministry of Environment, CDGK, Federation of Pakistan Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Monthly Energy Update are patronising the event, he said.