Sindh CNG (Compressed Natural Gas) association chairman Mumtaz Ali Jatoi appealed to the federal government to abolish gas loadshedding completely in Sindh and bring CNG sector into industrial tariff and adjustable tax net. He said that there were rumours that a significant rise in gas tariff would be witnessed in upcoming January. They said that if gas tariff went up, this cheaper fuel would be out of reach of poor people and this sector would come to an end and thousands of workers would be rendered unemployed. They said that then the recent announcement of Prime Minister Imran Khan to make Pakistan green and promote this CNG sector might go into a fiasco. He said this while speaking to media persons at a news conference held at the local press club on Monday. Association vice chairmen Dr Pershotam and Mukhtar Shaikh and other office-bearers were present. Jatoi said that approximately 550 CNG stations in Sindh were almost closed from Dec 17 till today, while they were supplied gas for only 47 hours during two weeks.

He said that CNG and Captive power plants inked accords with Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC) for 12 and 9 months respectively. He said that the plants should not be supplied gas during three months during winter season as per the agreement, while they are being supplied 50 per cent gas even now. He said that the captive power plants could be run on furnace oil and they get economical electricity and run their generators on gas. He said that if the plants needed 2 megawatt, they produced 4 megawatt for their own use and selling them to K-electric and Wapda. 'While total raw material of CNG sector bristles with Sui gas and it has no other alternative. This sector is applied dearer gas with sales and withholding taxes at Rs1, 618 per million cubic feet per day (MMBTU). Captive power plants obtain gas for Rs1, 025 per MMBTU and they paid GST and later on, it (GST) is adjusted 17 per cent, ' he said. He stated that CNG sector was supplied dearer gas and it closed for four days a week in all seasons and now for weeks. He said that liquefied natural gas (LNG) mafia wanted to give Sindh re-gasified liquefied natural gas (RLNG) and condemned it. He said that Sindh produced 2400 MMCFD and consumed 1200 MMCFD, while CNG sector used only 62 MMCFD. He said that according to the Constitution of the country, if a province produces more product, it could give it to other provinces after fulfilling its own requirement. He said that despite of it, Sindh was facing gas loadshedding and it was an utter violation of the Constitution.

He said that SSGC claimed that it gave first priority to domestic consumers, then the second priority should be accorded to the CNG sector because thousands of poor workers were scratching a decent living from this sector. He said that the (CNG) sector consumed 2.8 per cent gas in Sindh. He said that SSGC closed gas while giving reasons including low pressure, more consumption and others during winter season. Later on, the association leaders including owners and workers of stations protested outside the local press club. Then they went to Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC) regional office Hyderabad and staged a protest sit-in outside the office for one and half an hour. They met SSGC officers concerned and presented suggestions to restore gas to CNG stations immediately and close gas to Captive power plants, while the officers assured them of forwarding the proposals to the authority concerned, according to Mumtaz Ali Jatoi. Then, they called off the demonstration.

© Pakistan Press International, source Asianet-Pakistan