KARACHI: All three CNG station owners and dealers associations have agreed to call off countrywide strike after meetings with the Minister of Petroleum and Natural Resources Syed Naveed Qamar on Friday. The minister assured the CNG associations that he will try to end gas load shedding from February instead of March 2010. He asked the associations to submit presentation for the reversal of CNG tariff from commercial to industrial for reconsideration. He also asked the associations to submit a presentation for the adjustment of tax on electricity bills and added that he will talk to the chairman of the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) in this regard. While talking to media men after the meeting, the minister said that “no” new licenses for CNG stations will be issued due to depleting of gas reserves in the country. He said that the government will provide protection to the CNG industry and include all stakeholders in the committee. Syed Naveed Qamar said that the government will utilize all the available resources including Thar coal, LPG and Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline to meet the demand of energy in the country. Malik Khuda Baksh, representative of CNG dealers said that the minister has agreed to consider the demand for reversing the CNG tariff from “commercial” to “industrial” and to pursue Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) to adjust withholding tax on electricity bills of CNG dealers. He said that initially, CNG dealers were getting natural gas at Rs 324 per mmbtu under industrial tariff before 2007. After 2007, tariff for CNG dealers was increased above commercial tariff (Rs 393 per mmbtu) and CNG dealers were getting gas at Rs 427 per mmbtu, he added. Khuda Baksh pointed out that, after 18 percent tariff rise, CNG dealers are now getting gas at Rs 503 per mmbtu. He said that the minister has asked CNG Association to submit a presentation for the reversal of tariff and also for the adjustment of withholding tax on electricity bills. Abdul Sami Khan, another leader of CNG dealers said that the minister thanked the associations for not resorting to strike and respected the decision of last meeting with him in Islamabad.—Agency
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