Panel holds first meeting to resolve Honda complaint

ISLAMABAD: The first meeting of the committee headed by the secretary Petroleum and Natural Resources constituted to resolve the dispute arising out of the complaint on behalf of Honda Atlas that quality of motor gasoline is not fit for its newly launched product — 1.5 turbo Honda civic that is facing knocking problem, met here on Tuesday with no outcome.
However, in the meeting, all the stakeholders developed consensus on the way forward on how to proceed to resolve the issue.
Chief Executive of Oil Companies Advisory Council (OCAC) Dr M Ilyas Fazil told The News: “Yes, the committee has met and we have agreed upon the way forward mechanism for the resolution of the issue keeping in view the HDIP report, the government’s specifications of petrol and the complaint of Honda Company.” Director General Oil, Member Oil in Ogra, and HDIP chief also participated in the meeting.The complaint from Honda Company of billions of dollars investment on 1.5 turbo car is likely to go down the drain as it has halted the production of more 1.5 turbo cars on account of knocking issue. This occurrence had sparked a nationwide debate as to whether the fuel used in 1.5 turbo civic is at fault or the engine control system of the car is imperfect.
The HDIP (Hydrocarbon Development Institute of Pakistan) has already submitted with the Ogra and the government the report about specifications of the MSGAS (petrol) based on many samples arranged from local refineries, oil marketing companies and from the petrol that is imported in the country. The HDIP report is being kept close to the chests of some top mandarins who are not willing to share it with media. Every relevant official is tight-lipped.
In its application earlier submitted with Ogra, Honda Atlas Cars (Pakistan) Limited had unfolded that some serious issues have appeared to their product (1.5 turbo car) due to poor quality of fuel made by adoption of cheaper method to increase RON from 87 to 92 RON.