Oil tankers. PHOTO: REUTERS
ISLAMABAD: In response to Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority’s (OGRA) directives to upgrade the oil tanker fleet to notified safety standards, the All Pakistan Oil Tankers Owners Association has threatened to stage a country-wide protest.
Addressing a press conference in National Press Club, the association Chairman Aslam Niazi said oil tankers transport was the only business that paid advance tax worth millions of rupees. He added that OGRA was ‘forcing oil tankers owners towards unemployment’ instead of facilitating them.
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The chairman said that some unprofessional officers in OGRA were causing losses worth billions to the country. He claimed that OGRA wanted to impose foreign transport instead of promoting the local transport industry.
He demanded that the transport business for the delivery of petroleum products should be given the status of an industry. He said it would help to take loans from banks to provide transport as per the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor standard.
Niazi urged that authority entitled to OGRA should be given under the ministry of petroleum. He also called for the construction of trauma centres, mosques and resthouses at every 50 kilometres on highways.
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