CNG body, OGRA to deliberate on pricing issue
Station owners blame regulator for misinterpreting court judgment.
KARACHI:
Chairman of the CNG Dealers Association and Oil and Gas Regularity Authority (Ogra) are going to meet on Wednesday in Islamabad to discuss the compressed natural gas (CNG) pricing issue.
Talking to The Express Tribune, CNG Dealers Association Chairman Abdul Sami Khan said that chairman of Ogra Saaed Ahmed Khan had called on a meeting on Wednesday to deliberate on the CNG pricing issue. Saeed had contacted Abdul and invited him to Islamabad.
However, earlier on Monday, Abdul and his aides called a meeting of their members in Karachi and lambasted Ogra chairman for misguiding people on CNG pricing issue.
They said that Saeed had misinterpreted facts in the ongoing Supreme Court case of CNG prices for which he should be removed from his position.
When asked, Abdul said that his organisation had asked its members to keep stations open on Monday before calling the meeting.
However, the situation was quite different in Karachi.
Most of the CNG stations in the city were closed down on Sunday; however the situation slightly improved on Monday.
Most CNG stations continued to remain close, ignoring Supreme Court’s decision in which it froze prices for the next two weeks.
Stations operated by leading multinationals were open in the city on Sunday and Monday while local stations remained close on both days.
All Pakistan CNG Association (APCNGA) Chairman Sindh Zone Sameer Gulzar said that the police in the city were harassing their members.
Gulzar, who met with police commissioner of Karachi on CNG pricing issue, said that the city administration was also not listening to his point.
The commissioner told us that he will give the list of all closed CNG stations to Ogra and take strict action for violating Supreme Court orders, he added.
Responding to a question, he said multinationals could bear the burden of losses in present scenario of lower CNG prices. However, the current situation made it unaffordable for local stations owners to keep stations in operation, Gulzar added.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 6th, 2012.
Chairman of the CNG Dealers Association and Oil and Gas Regularity Authority (Ogra) are going to meet on Wednesday in Islamabad to discuss the compressed natural gas (CNG) pricing issue.
Talking to The Express Tribune, CNG Dealers Association Chairman Abdul Sami Khan said that chairman of Ogra Saaed Ahmed Khan had called on a meeting on Wednesday to deliberate on the CNG pricing issue. Saeed had contacted Abdul and invited him to Islamabad.
However, earlier on Monday, Abdul and his aides called a meeting of their members in Karachi and lambasted Ogra chairman for misguiding people on CNG pricing issue.
They said that Saeed had misinterpreted facts in the ongoing Supreme Court case of CNG prices for which he should be removed from his position.
When asked, Abdul said that his organisation had asked its members to keep stations open on Monday before calling the meeting.
However, the situation was quite different in Karachi.
Most of the CNG stations in the city were closed down on Sunday; however the situation slightly improved on Monday.
Most CNG stations continued to remain close, ignoring Supreme Court’s decision in which it froze prices for the next two weeks.
Stations operated by leading multinationals were open in the city on Sunday and Monday while local stations remained close on both days.
All Pakistan CNG Association (APCNGA) Chairman Sindh Zone Sameer Gulzar said that the police in the city were harassing their members.
Gulzar, who met with police commissioner of Karachi on CNG pricing issue, said that the city administration was also not listening to his point.
The commissioner told us that he will give the list of all closed CNG stations to Ogra and take strict action for violating Supreme Court orders, he added.
Responding to a question, he said multinationals could bear the burden of losses in present scenario of lower CNG prices. However, the current situation made it unaffordable for local stations owners to keep stations in operation, Gulzar added.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 6th, 2012.