Dealers: Industry being driven towards collapse

Business tycoons and high government officials sabotaging the CNG industry.

KARACHI:

Speaking at the Karachi Press Club on Monday, leaders of CNG Dealers Association and CNG Station Owners Association said some business tycoons and high government officials were working on bringing liquefied natural gas into the country, which would collapse the CNG industry.

They said top industrialists had met government officials several times to discuss LNG import and increase CNG price to a level equal to petrol.

“We were not consulted and not taken into confidence while moving a summary to the prime minister for an increase in CNG price,” they said, adding the government had not enough money to purchase oil and meet local demand.

Abdul Sami Khan of CNG Dealers Association said as per his knowledge, the government would announce a gradual increase in prices and in the next six months, the price of CNG would be brought on a par with petrol. “This means damage to an industry worth Rs237 billion,” he said.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 5^th, 2011.