The All Pakistan Compressed Natural Gas(CNG) Association has called for ending gas load-shedding to filling stations after ensuring smooth supply of power to general industry.
Central chairman of the body Ghiyas Abdullah Paracha appreciated the government’s decision regarding no more electricity load shedding and starting petroleum saving drive for reduction in petroleum import bill. He said there was no justification left now for CNG load shedding after provision of adequate electricity supply to the general industry. He added, the general industry could enhance production as per requirements and these units would have no need of natural gas. He was of the opinion that the gas should be given to those sectors which had no any other alternate option for their businesses. Thus, he added, the remaining gas should be diverted to CNG sector. He said the government had accepted the association’s point of view regarding solving fuel crisis in the country and had started campaign to encourage the use of CNG instead of petroleum to reduce petroleum import bill and foreign reserves. He said the government had also published an advertisement in national dailies to promote the saving of petroleum products, which would help encourage masses to save petrol. He maintained the government could achieve its targets of saving petroleum import bill by ending gas load shedding for the CNG sector as he added all vehicles using CNG could save million of liters of petrol daily if full week supply was ensured to CNG filling stations. He said the full week supply of CNG would not only work for reduction in petroleum import bill but it would also increase government’s revenue because of 40 percent advance tax at every filling on highest gas tariff.