All Pakistan CNG Association (APCNGA) is considering launching a protest campaign to force the government to reduce the gas load shedding of compressed natural gas.
Talking to Pakistan Today, APCNGA Chairman Ghiyas Paracha said public pressure has forced the government to take some initiatives for ending electricity load shedding and now we should also have to take some steps to pressurise the government for ending or reducing the two and half days per week gas shut down.
He said, we have planed to initially appeal to the government for increasing the gas supply to CNG sector and if the response will be in negative then we might opt for protest campaign which we have been delaying for the last many weeks. The government had assured the association that whenever the issue of electricity load shedding would be resolved, they will focus on this sector and rest of the available gas would be supplied to CNG sector.
Currently CNG sector is paying the highest gas tariff as compared to other sectors which are getting a subsidised tariff. It contributes Rs27.1 billion in advance GST and Rs5.1 billion in advance income tax to the government unlike the other sectors that seek tax concessions or refunds. “There is no justification left for continuing CNG load shedding after ending electricity load shedding,”, he added.
CNG demand is estimated at 7 per cent or about 281 million cubic feet per day as compared to gas supply of 29 per cent or 810 mmcfd to the general industry sector. If the government will provide general industry with uninterrupted supply of electricity, it will solve all their problems and they will not need gas supplies. Whatever quantity of spare gas is available should be diverted to CNG sector and fertiliser sector, he demanded.
Out of the total consumption of 281 mmcfd, 181 mmcfd of gas is required by the CNG stations located in the largest province of Punjab, which currently are being provided by120 mmcfd of gas. He claimed that the gas load shedding in Punjab alone is causing a burden of Rs42 billion per annum on the consumers.
Taking cue from the government advertisement campaign for promoting petrol conservation to reduce the petroleum import bill, he said more than 3.5 million vehicles were plying on CNG that was resulting in an annual saving of $2.6 billion by the lowing of the petroleum imports by 3.8 billion litres per annum.
Minister for Petroleum Dr. Asim Hussain has promised that more than 250 mmcfd additional gas will be injected in the national transmission network by December this year that will help lower the gas load shedding as compared to the last winters. He accepted during his press conference that the below average well head price tariff enjoyed by fertiliser, power and industrial sectors is a great injustice that is resulting in a loss of Rs50 billion per annum to the national exchequer.
