Oil tankers may strike on 22nd

ISLAMABAD: The Oil Tankers Owners and Contractor Associations (OTCA) had threatened countrywide strike on March 22nd against the government’s preferential treatment being meted out to the National Logistic Cell (NLC) while putting the association at disadvantage position.

The preferential treatment to NLC, ambiguous sales tax regime by the provinces, and nonpayment by the oil marketing companies is hurting the oil business, and if these issues were not properly addressed, the oil tankers will dtop its operation and block the oil supply to all over the country by 22 March, said the OTCA in a letter addressed to the Petroleum secretary.

It is worth mentioning here that in January 2018, the OTCA had also threatened to go on strike, but it was later postponed.

NLC tankers are not required to queue up for loading and unloading in all regions of Pakistan, while the tankers of other contractors wait for the NLC to fill its tankers, said General Secretary All Pakistan PSO Carriage Contractor Association (APPCCA) Nauman Ali Butt, while talking to media persons.

“Besides not lining up for loading and unloading, the NLC is not paying the NOC fee of Rs4 million. The private oil tankers are paying Rs4 million for the NOC/guarantee while no such guarantee money is being charged from the NLC. The guarantee money is transferable and refundable,” he said.

It was also said that the Pakistan State Oil (PSO) has been giving undue favour to National Logistic Cell (NLC) as OTCA has been asked for bringing standard vehicles for oil transport, while the NLC has no such vehicles that meet the required standards. The NLC tankers have no PSO specified colour, they are also given out of turn loading and unloading facility, so for this injustice of the NLC, we will be going on strike and stop our operations, the letter said.