CNG kits, cylinders: Lift ban on imports, say car assemblers
Insist it will discourage smuggling of substandard material.
Local assemblers insist that they have provided state-of-the-art CNG vehicles with high level of safety. PHOTO: FILE
ISLAMABAD:
The Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs), commonly known as car assemblers, have sought lifting of the existing ban on import of compressed natural gas (CNG) kits and cylinders in an effort to discourage use of substandard material, which can put lives of people in danger.
In a statement, a spokesman for OEMs stressed that the ban had in fact encouraged smuggling of substandard and damaged cylinders and kits and, at the same time, not reduced demand.
“CNG has given relief and saved some money of the already heavily taxed middle class and cleaned the most polluted cities, leading to reduced risk of diseases,” he said, adding it had generated jobs for millions of skilled and unskilled workers in the country.
He claimed that the CNG sector, which provides cheaper and affordable transport fuel, had saved the national exchequer billions of dollars in oil import annually and brought foreign investment.
“CNG station owners have made investment of over Rs100 billion,” but big influential sectors like textile, independent power producers and fertiliser plants wanted to take the share of CNG sector, he said.
Local vehicle assemblers insist that they have provided state-of-the-art CNG vehicles with high level of safety and this system is running without endangering public safety in a single incident by adhering to the Pakistan Safety Rules 1992 promulgated during the first PML-N government.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 21st, 2014.
The Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs), commonly known as car assemblers, have sought lifting of the existing ban on import of compressed natural gas (CNG) kits and cylinders in an effort to discourage use of substandard material, which can put lives of people in danger.
In a statement, a spokesman for OEMs stressed that the ban had in fact encouraged smuggling of substandard and damaged cylinders and kits and, at the same time, not reduced demand.
“CNG has given relief and saved some money of the already heavily taxed middle class and cleaned the most polluted cities, leading to reduced risk of diseases,” he said, adding it had generated jobs for millions of skilled and unskilled workers in the country.
He claimed that the CNG sector, which provides cheaper and affordable transport fuel, had saved the national exchequer billions of dollars in oil import annually and brought foreign investment.
“CNG station owners have made investment of over Rs100 billion,” but big influential sectors like textile, independent power producers and fertiliser plants wanted to take the share of CNG sector, he said.
Local vehicle assemblers insist that they have provided state-of-the-art CNG vehicles with high level of safety and this system is running without endangering public safety in a single incident by adhering to the Pakistan Safety Rules 1992 promulgated during the first PML-N government.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 21st, 2014.