CNG stations to determine gas prices of own choice
CNG station owners will need no notification from OGRA to change CNG prices.
ISLAMABAD (Daily Dunya) – The federal government has given the control of changing and setting gas prices to Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) station owners after taking five regulatory institutions under government ministries in Sindh and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP).
CNG station owners will need no notification from Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) to change CNG prices, hence, taking profit of their own wish.
The decision was taken by Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Resources (MPNR) in the light of Economic Coordination Committee (ECC).
CNG will now be sold in liters instead of kilograms after this decision.
MPNR has sent notifications to OGRA, Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC) and Sui Northern Gas Pipelines (SNGPL) stating that OGRA ordinance will be modified to give a legal status to deregulation.
It should be noted that CNG has already been deregulated in Punjab before Sindh and KP.
The chairman of Supreme Council of All Pakistan CNG Association (APCNGA) Ghayas Paracha has said that this step would save CNG business worth 450 billion rupees from destruction and it would flourish again.
The chairman of CNG Dealers Association Sami Khan has said that CNG owners are selling CNG in loss, the new prices would be announced soon, however, the prices will remain less than petrol.
On the other hand, opposition has strongly rejected this decision of taking regulatory institutions under government ministries and has demanded the government to take this decision back.
The opposition has said that Nawaz Sharif has not taken them in confidence and issued the orders just like a king would do. The opposition asked why government is penalizing regulatory authorities. They said they would not allow the government to issue unjust orders.
Chairman of the Senate of Pakistan Mian Raza Rabbani has also demanded justification of this decision from Leader of the House (Senate) Raja Zafar-ul-Haq and said that regulatory bodies cannot show any performance if they will have to work under government ministries.
These institutions will not work fast with each other, he added.
Chairman Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Imran Khan has rejected this decision as well and said this decision shows Nawaz Sharif doesn’t want
to bring justice and accountability to the country, which is a worst example of monarchy.
PTI leader Shah Mehmood Qureshi said that opposition cooperates with government when it takes sane decisions, and then government takes decision like this which confiscates institutions.
Leader of opposition Khurshid Shah has announced to go to Supreme Court of Pakistan against this decision. He said that this act will create new records of corruption and government is undoubtedly supporting it.
Shah also added that this step has ragged the decision of Council of Common Interests (CCI) who rejected it earlier.
Having his say on point of order, PPP leader Naveed Qamar also questioned the decision and said that such kind of laws cannot be made in one day.
Chief of Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan Siraj-ul-Haq has also criticized this decision strongly and said if we allow this to happen then government will also get a free hand to increase the prices of electricity, gas, telephone, etc.
Senator Saleem Mandviwalla said that this step has created a new example of kingship in Pakistan.
However, Defense Minister Khawaja Asif said there is no such thing like monarchy in Pakistan.
