he All Pakistan CNG Association (APCNGA) has urged the government to bring prices of Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) at par with the prices in other countries of the region. Ghiyas Abdullah Paracha, Chairman Supreme Council APCNGA said that CNG prices in Pakistan are the highest in the region and the government needs to bring it at par with its prices in other countries of the region.
Speaking at a hurriedly-called meeting here on Tuesday, Paracha informed that price of CNG in Thailand is 76.70 percent less as compare to petrol. Similarly, in Bangladesh, CNG is available at 68.61 percent lesser price, in Indonesia 51.65 percent and in India it is 58.84 percent of the cost of petrol.
Many countries including India and Bangladesh don't have any indigenous substitute for gasoline; they lack proper gas infrastructure, but they sell CNG at low price as compare to Pakistan despite importing Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) and paying for conversion to enable it for use in vehicles. Prices of CNG in Pakistan should match other countries, where buying power of the masses is more or less the same, he said.
Decisions regarding CNG sector are not taken on merit, but on the whims of powerful oil lobby, which wants to boost its business, said Paracha. He said that CNG sector needs immediate attention of authorities, as billions have been invested in it and 3.5 million cars have been converted, adding that livelihood of nearly one million people directly or indirectly attached to this sector.
He said that gas is an indigenous resource, which economical and clean as compare to imported fuels, which are costly and unfriendly to environment. As a policy, US and many EU countries have been promoting use of gas to reduce dependence on imported fossil fuels due to uncertainty in supply chain, volatility in prices, and save foreign exchange, he said, adding that many countries are doing away with expensive LPG, but here CNG sector is being closed to boost import of costly fuel.
Total consumption of CNG sector in Pakistan not more than 8 percent, it is paying more taxes as compare to any other sector using gas, yet it is being victimised, while some other influential sectors are promoted despite the fact that immediate conversion of those sectors on other fuels is in national interest, Paracha observed.
He informed that before 2002, there was a ban on running thermal power plants on CNG. It was Musharraf's era when country started running power stations on clean fuel despite its scarcity. The decision resulted in depletion of precious gas reserves, which took toll on masses and economy, deprived industry of economical fuel, and contributed to rapid environmental degradation, he added. The government should consider reversing the decision, demanded Ghiyas Paracha.
Speaking at a hurriedly-called meeting here on Tuesday, Paracha informed that price of CNG in Thailand is 76.70 percent less as compare to petrol. Similarly, in Bangladesh, CNG is available at 68.61 percent lesser price, in Indonesia 51.65 percent and in India it is 58.84 percent of the cost of petrol.
Many countries including India and Bangladesh don't have any indigenous substitute for gasoline; they lack proper gas infrastructure, but they sell CNG at low price as compare to Pakistan despite importing Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) and paying for conversion to enable it for use in vehicles. Prices of CNG in Pakistan should match other countries, where buying power of the masses is more or less the same, he said.
Decisions regarding CNG sector are not taken on merit, but on the whims of powerful oil lobby, which wants to boost its business, said Paracha. He said that CNG sector needs immediate attention of authorities, as billions have been invested in it and 3.5 million cars have been converted, adding that livelihood of nearly one million people directly or indirectly attached to this sector.
He said that gas is an indigenous resource, which economical and clean as compare to imported fuels, which are costly and unfriendly to environment. As a policy, US and many EU countries have been promoting use of gas to reduce dependence on imported fossil fuels due to uncertainty in supply chain, volatility in prices, and save foreign exchange, he said, adding that many countries are doing away with expensive LPG, but here CNG sector is being closed to boost import of costly fuel.
Total consumption of CNG sector in Pakistan not more than 8 percent, it is paying more taxes as compare to any other sector using gas, yet it is being victimised, while some other influential sectors are promoted despite the fact that immediate conversion of those sectors on other fuels is in national interest, Paracha observed.
He informed that before 2002, there was a ban on running thermal power plants on CNG. It was Musharraf's era when country started running power stations on clean fuel despite its scarcity. The decision resulted in depletion of precious gas reserves, which took toll on masses and economy, deprived industry of economical fuel, and contributed to rapid environmental degradation, he added. The government should consider reversing the decision, demanded Ghiyas Paracha.
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