All Pakistan Textile Mills Association (APTMA) Chairman Gohar Ejaz has welcomed the proposed Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) Policy 2011 and dubbed it as right step in the right direction in the larger interest of national economy.
He has appreciated the efforts of Minister for Petroleum and Natural Resources Dr Asim Hussain for taking personal interest in bringing LNG into the system, a very vital project proposed by APTMA under its five-point vision presented to the President Asif Ali Zardari in January 2011.
Chairman APTMA said the textile industry production was badly hit by gas shortage of 900MMCFD in winter and 400MMCFD in summer, limiting the industry production by 30 per cent below the potential. He said APTMA had therefore urged the President for ensuring short to medium term solutions for gas shortage to save industry, jobs, and exports of the country.
Gohar has also appreciated President Asif Ali Zardari for his prompt response to APTMA’s call and his decision to constitute a committee to formalize a policy.
He said the APTMA is fully supportive to the LNG Policy 2011 and expressed the hope that the textile industry would be able to overcome 500MMCFD gas supply shortage. Import of LNG under the LNG Policy 2011 would be a considerable relief to the textile industry in the years ahead, he added.
However, he pointed out that direct import of LNG by third party and its direct supply to consumers would only be beneficial to the IPPs and not the general public as well as textile industry. Therefore, it is very important that the LNG supply should be brought into the gas pool of the SNGPL and the SSGC, already having 4000MMCFD gas. An addition of 1000MMCFD LNG should be made part of the system and the weighted average tariff of the total supply including LNG should be passed on to all consumers. The imported LNG would be three times expensive than the natural gas available in the country, he added.
The LNG Policy 2011, aims at sustainable development of the energy sector, for optimising the primary energy mix on economic and strategic considerations, maximizing the utilization of indigenous energy resources and enhancing private sector participation in the energy sector by strengthening the regulatory framework and institutional capacity. Chairman APTMA said the government should expedite the import of LNG on urgent basis in order to mitigate the negative impact of gas shortage for industry during upcoming winters and summers. Gohar has further expressed the hope that the government would take textile industry into confidence on day to day developments on infrastructural development regarding import of LNG project. He further assured of meeting the goals relating to exports and employment once this project becomes operational to overcome gas shortage in the larger national interest.
