Vehicle owners returning to petrol!

N H Zuberi

KARACHI: Rising CNG price and closure of CNG stations have forced vehicle owners and public transport to reconvert their vehicles on petrol and diesels to keep them operative following CNG crisis.

Transport owners operating their vehicles for schools, colleges and offices have started pressing their clients on increase in charges on the pretext that petrol and diesel are much more expensive than CNG.

The business community has strongly criticised increase of Rs 7 to Rs 11 in CNG prices and gas tariff saying, converting vehicles to petrol and diesel will increase government import bill exorbitantly.

They said on one hand industries are closing down their units due to non-availability of gas and power and on the othe, in government increasing gas tariff and CNG price to add woes of industry and general public.

Vice President Saarc Chamber of Commerce and Industry and former President of FPCCI, Iftikhar Ali Milk said that exorbitant increase in gas tariff and CNG prices will have adverse impact on the cost of industrial production and standard of living of general pubic.

He said increase in gas tariff and CNG prices would have negative impact of competitiveness of Pak products in international market.

Former Vice President of FPCCI, Zubair F Tufail said that the present government has failed to resolve energy crisis.

Former Vice President of KCCI and Regional Chairman All Pakistan CNG Association, Junaid Ismail Makda termed the increase in tariff of gas for CNG station as a conspiracy against investors who have made more than Rs 170 billion investment in CNG sector, including Rs 91 billion in CNG stations and Rs 61 billion by vehicle owners. Besides, Rs 20 billion investment is in pipeline.

Chairman, Law and Order Committee of Korangi Association of Trade and Industry (KATI), Nadeem Khan criticised government policies and said implementation of increase in gas and CNG prices will have drastic impact on industries and poor segment of the society who have already been fighting for their survival.

Chairman, Site Superhighway Association of Trade and Industry (SSATI), Mehtab Chawala claimed that there is no shortage of electricity and gas in the country.

He said that mismanagement and poor vision are the main cause of all this mess.