Trade and industry has rejected the increase in prices of POL and new tax imposed on CNG by the government opening another floodgate of price spiral. The Patron In-Chief Korangi Association of Trade and Industry (KATI), S M Muneer, Chairman Ehteshamuddin, Vice Chairmen, Hasham A Razzak ,Tariq Malik and former Chairman, Mian Zahid Hussain while strongly protesting over the government decision to arbitrarily raise petroleum prices and imposition of surcharge on CNG up to 10 per cent. They said that present government has already broken the backbone of the industry and the general public by increasing POL and gas prices besides raising electricity tariff frequently instead of lowering its lavish spending on non-developmental expenditures.
The industry representatives further said that Prime Minister has recently made it clear that government has nothing to do with the price fluctuation of POL and it was OGRA which makes decisions as per price fluctuation internationally but the OGRA has clarified that its role was only to recommend in price change and the government decides to increase petroleum or gas prices. They said that government is making a mockery of the people of Pakistan and cruelly imposing taxes and levies on them which are unbearable. They demanded of the government to immediately reverse its decision to increase POL prices and surcharge on CNG and try to find out avenues of revenue generation.
