The LPG Association of Pakistan (LPGAP) Thursday expressed concern over the LPG industry affairs and urged the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Resource to immediately resolve the issue of this industry. Association's Chairman Farooq Iftikhar said that import of substandard LPG has caused all LPG marketing companies selling standard LPG heavy losses. Recently, one of the two terminal operators has written a letter to all importers asking them to stop importing low quality off-spec LPG as it is causing problem in operating their storage terminal.
He said this terminal has only raised its voice when off-spec LPG seriously started affecting operation of its terminals, otherwise they were allowing all importers at their terminals with all type of off-spec LPG without caring for the end users and the general public.
He said rules of storage were also changed by the terminals to amass extra profit by allowing storage of off-spec LPG, also charging more than normal, and at the same time shortening the free storage time. This made the genuine importer shy away from importing and only such players were left who were violating OGRA & Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Resources LPG Policy as such violations suited them.
He urged the regulatory authority to look into this matter on priority and also take punitive action against unscrupulous importers and terminal operators. He said that LPG marketing companies in the last one year have lost millions of rupees because of these irregularities, whereas terminals operators and importers have minted money. It is high time that OGRA and the Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Resources start seriously probing this scam, he added.