Strike against record hike in gas tariff planned

ISLAMABAD: The All Pakistan CNG Association (APCNGA) may opt for a countrywide strike against unprecedented hike in the tariff of natural gas, a leader of the CNG sector said on Monday.

The extraordinary hike of thirty-one percent in the tariff of natural gas will leave the CNG sector bankrupt and thousands jobless, said Central Chairman of APCNGA Brig. ® Iftikhar Ahmed. He said the decision will not only hurt masses and existing businesses using gas but it will also put future investment in jeopardy that includes the construction of LNG terminals with the help of foreign investments.

He said that CNG dealers in three provinces of Sindh, Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have increased the price of CNG up to Rs22 per kg while the price in Punjab has seen an upward revision of Rs03.

The province of Punjab is using imported gas which has attracted five percent Customs duty in the budget that has translated into Rs03, he clarified. The leader of the CNG sector said that we have rejected the increased price for gas which will increase the consumption of costly petrol that will erode the forex reserves. Brig. ® Iftikhar Ahmed said the current government has increased price of energy eleven times in ten months damaging masses, industry, and agriculture.

The economic activities are going down with the passage of every day, he said, adding that the private sector can only pay taxes and provide jobs when their businesses are running. He said that budget proposals forwarded by the APCNGA were not accepted and now we will inform Minister of Petroleum and Minister of Finance about our reservations to save CNG sector from total destruction.

Iftikhar informed that he has summoned an emergency meeting of the general body on July 02 at Islamabad in which future course of action will be finalised which include a nation-wide strike.