PESHAWAR: The Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) has demanded the government to remove reservations and apprehensions of industries, including CNG sector regarding Gas Infrastructure Development Cess (GIDC) and to take immediate decision in this regard.

Engineer Maqsood Anwar Pervaiz, president of the SCCI in a statement issued here on Friday said that relief for Covid-19 hit industries, including CNG sector is inevitable. He said that a high-powered committee should be constituted by giving representation of people proposed by the chamber in light of the recent decision of the Peshawar High Court regarding GIDC.

The chamber president informed that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa businessmen attached with CNG sector filed a petition in Peshawar High Court, in which petitioner made appeal from the superior judiciary that they didn't avail GIDC so the government decision to recover amount from industries, including CNG sector wasn't implemented.

Therefore, he said the industrialists/CNG owners couldn't accept the government's decision of recovering the amount on the head of GIDC in different installations.

Furthermore, he informed the Peshawar High Court while hearing the GIDC case, had directed the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (Ogra) to submit an audit report regarding GIDC within a month period. He added the superior judiciary also issued directions to the Ogra to constitute a high-powered committee to address the GIDC amicably.

For the committee, he said SCCI has proposed three experts on this matter and asked the Orga to give them representation in the committee. He requested the federal government that the industries, including the CNG sector, which had been adversely affected by Covid-19 pandemic situation, should be given relief at every level, besides apprehensions/reservations regarding GIDC also be removed and to take decision about GIDC as early as possible.

SCCI chief went on to say that industries have always played a pivotal role in economic development and employment generation in the country, adding that the industries are confronted with severe economic challenges in the post covid-19 scenario.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2020