Business community decries levy of RLNG on gas consumers in KP

PESHAWAR: The business community of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Wednesday warned the federal government against the levy of Re-gasified Liquefied Natural Gas (RLNG) surcharge on industrial and commercial consumers by Sui Northern Gas Pipeline Limited (SNGPL).

Addressing a press conference at the Chamber House here, Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) President Zahidullah Shinwari condemned the SNGPL's decision of receiving RLNG surcharge in the March electricity bills of the industrial and commercial consumers.

He said imposition of the surcharge had forced them to give a SOS calls for protecting industry of terror-battered Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. Senator Nauman Wazir, former SCCI president Riaz Arshad, Ziaul Haq Sharhadi, Pervez Khattak, President, CNG Association, and other prominent businessmen were also present on the occasion.

"Imposition of such kind of taxes and surcharges like RLNG, Gas Infrastructure Development Cess (GIDC), etc, besides non-provision of facilities guaranteed by constitution and impact of terrorism has brought the industry of KP to the verge of closure," the SCCI president said. He termed the levy of RLNG as violation of Article 158 of the Constitution and announced that the SCCI would knock at the door of court of law for relief.

The SCCI president added that the KP was self-sufficient in gas production as the province was producing 100 mmcfd gas extra from its requirement and the levy of RLNG in the province was unlawful.

Zahid Shinwari recalled they had already held an All Parties Conference (APC) to draft Charter of Economy for seeking relief for the militancy-hit KP and "now they will again approach political leadership of the province to raise voice against the RLNG."

He also lamented that the moratorium that had barred new industrial connections in the country had been withdrawn one year ago, but the SNGPL is still not issuing such connections in KP.

The SCCI president also deplored drastic drop in mutual trade between Pakistan and Afghanistan, which he said adversely affected the KP business community. He said the recent requirement of quarantine by Plant and Protection Department had badly affected import of fresh and dry fruit from Afghanistan, causing huge financial losses to businessmen of Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Similarly, he continued, imposition of regulatory duty on import from Afghanistan also had left damaging impact on trade between the two countries. In response to regulatory duty, he said, the Afghan government had increased taxes on import from Pakistan which resulted in slump in business.

The SCCI chief also criticised the recently announced tax amnesty scheme and said that they would not support it, if it is only aimed at whitening of the black money. He demanded KP government to give exemption in provincial taxes to businessmen of Peshawar because of losses they faced due to execution of Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project in the city.

The SCCI chief said that the BRT planning was not good and the stakeholders (shopkeepers) were not taken into confidence over the implementation of the project and its impact on businesses in the city.