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200 tons of LPG being smuggled daily from Iran
KARACHI, April 23: Around 170-200 tons of Iranian liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) is being smuggled into Pakistan daily, and traders are mixing it with the locally-produced gas to fleece consumers.
The smuggled product is available at Rs30 to 38 per kg, and is cheaper because Iran offers a heavy subsidy, said Progas Pakistan Chief Executive Abass Bilgrami.
Smuggling, he said, started in March this year, and till that time 40 to 50 tons per day of gas was coming from Iran. The smuggled product is now easily available in Karachi, Quetta and Southern Punjab, he added.
To a query how customers should differentiate between smuggled gas and the locallymade one, he said there was a price difference which varies in various parts of the country.
The LPG prices are on the decline in Karachi for the last few months, and currently it is tagged at Rs 46 per kg.
He said various road links between Pakistan and Iran, which had earlier devastated in heavy rains last year, have now reopened, and the vested interest was fully utilising the situation.
In winter when consumption remained high, there was no smuggling from Iran into Pakistan, he said, and added that his company imported more than half of the total imports of 70,000 metric tons in 2006-2007.
In 2007-2008, Progas imported 19,000 tons till February and since then the company did not import gas as the government had capped gas prices.
Bilgrami said that attention of the government was drawn towards smuggling, but so far there had been no progress.
He added that a majority of the consignments were being cleared by evading 17 per cent general sales tax. There was no customs duty on import of LPG.
Of the total production of 1,550 tons per day in the country, the current demand ranges between 1,750 and 1,800 per day and the rest is met through smuggling, he said.
The share of auto sector in terms of LPG consumption ranges between 55 and 60 per cent all over the country. However, in Karachi the share of LPG in auto sector is 80 per cent.
LPG Distributors Association of Pakistan (LPGDAP) Chairman Hadi Khan also said that LPG smuggling had increased during the last few months.
He said that the association had suggested that the price of LPG at producers' level should not be more than the international prices to prevent smuggling of gas from Iran.
During the winter season when LPG consumption increases, import of LPG should be exempted from sales tax so that cheaper imports can bridge gap between demand and supply. This exemption should be given for four to five months only.
He said that the LPG prices should not be linked with international prices. The base producers' prices, including all taxes and duties, should not exceed Rs30,000-32,000 per ton.
There was also a need to reduce sales tax as gas is mainly used by low-income group people, he said.
karachi, april 23: around 170-200 tons of iranian liquefied petroleum gas (lpg) is being smuggled into pakistan daily, and traders are mixing it with the locally-produced gas to fleece consumers. the smuggled product is avail- able at rs30 to 38 per kg, and is cheaper because iran offers a heavy subsidy, said progas pakistan chief executive abass bilgrami. smuggling, he said, started in march this year, and till that time 40 to 50 tons per day of gas was coming from iran. the smuggled product is now easily available in karachi, quetta and southern punjab, he added. to a query how customers should differentiate between smuggled gas and the locally- made one, he said there was a price difference which varies in various parts of the country. the lpg prices are on the de- cline in karachi for the last few months, and currently it is tag- ged at rs 46 per kg. he said various road links be- tween pakistan and iran, which had earlier devastated in heavy rains last year, have now re- opened, and the vested interest was fully utilising the situation. in winter when consumption remained high, there was no smuggling from iran into pakistan, he said, and added that his company imported more than half of the total imports of 70,000 metric tons in 2006-2007. in 2007-2008, progas imported 19,000 tons till february and since then the company did not import gas as the government had capped gas prices. bilgrami said that attention of the government was drawn to- wards smuggling, but so far there had been no progress. he added that a majority of the consignments were being cleared by evading 17 per cent general sales tax. there was no customs duty on import of lpg. of the total production of 1,550 tons per day in the country, the current demand ranges be- tween 1,750 and 1,800 per day and the rest is met through smug- gling, he said. the share of auto sector in terms of lpg consumption rang- es between 55 and 60 per cent all over the country. however, in karachi the share of lpg in auto sector is 80 per cent. lpg distributors association of pakistan (lpgdap) chairman hadi khan also said that lpg smuggling had increased during the last few months. he said that the association had suggested that the price of lpg at producers' level should not be more than the interna- tional prices to prevent smug- gling of gas from iran. during the winter season when lpg consumption increa- ses, import of lpg should be ex- empted from sales tax so that cheaper imports can bridge gap between demand and supply. this exemption should be given for four to five months only. he said that the lpg prices should not be linked with inter- national prices. the base pro- ducers' prices, including all tax- es and duties, should not exceed rs30,000-32,000 per ton. there was also a need to re- duce sales tax as gas is mainly used by low-income group peo- ple, he said.
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High oil prices here to stay, energy forum
ROME, April 21: High oil prices are here to stay, but
they cannot be blamed for the current global food crisis,
an international forum heard on Monday.
Biofuels, once seen as a key factor in curbing greenhouse
gas emissions, lie behind the stunning rise in food
prices worldwide, participants at the International
Energy Forum suggested.
“A conflict (is) emerging between foodstuffs and
fuel ... with disastrous social conflicts and dubious
environmental results,” outgoing Italian Prime
Minister Romano Prodi said.
Biofuels were developed as part of plans to limit and
reduce greenhouse gas emissions, held responsible for
global warming.
But since they are made from crops that take up land
that would otherwise be used for food production, they
have been increasingly blamed for soaring food prices.
Qatari Energy Minister Abdullah bin Hamad al Attiyah
said the world would have to choose “what its
priority is going to be driving or eating.” He
rejected suggestions that high oil prices were behind
the food crisis, which was due to food shortages.
“Even the big rice exporters such as India, Bangladesh
and Thailand are in the process of re ducing their exports,”
he said.
Venezuelan Energy Minister Rafael Ramirez said biofuels
were having a negligible impact on the oil markets.
“But look at the impact (they have) had on food
prices. It’s madness,” he said, adding:
“All the countries of Latin America have been
hit by the surge in food prices.” As oil prices
spiked to fresh records of above $117, participants
at the IEF predicted that the situation was unlikely
to change any time soon.
“We believe that prices will remain around this
level, at least around 90 dollars,” Ramirez said.
The chief executive of Italian energy giant ENEL, Fulvio
Conti, predicted that “oil prices will remain
high as long as demand remains high.” The Organisation
of Petroleum Exporting Countries, which produces around
40 per cent of the world’s oil, denied that opening
the taps, as called for by countries such as the United
States, would help.
“There isn’t much Opec can do,” Iraqi
Oil Minister Hussain Al-Shahristani said.
“Opec is producing as much as the market requires.
The solution is in the hands of the speculators. They’re
the ones who are fixing the price and not the producers.”
From Iran’s point of view, oil prices were not
“excessively high” compared with other raw
material prices, said Iranian Petroleum Minister Gholamhossein
Nozari.
International Energy Agency executive director Nobuo
Tanaka said oil prices, at their current level, “are
too high for everybody, especially for developing countries.”
No single factor was to blame, Tanaka said, but a combination
of factors, such as the weaker dollar, speculation and
the weather, as well as the fundamentals.
Some oil producers pointed out that they actually stood
to gain from high oil prices.
Venezuela, for example, is planning to impose a new
tax on oil profits in a move that will create additional
revenues of around nine billion dollars.
The head of Libya’s National Oil Company, Shokri
Ghanem, said rising prices would translate into substantial
additional revenues for his country.
IEA chief Tanaka suggested that developments would force
consumer countries to be more efficient in their energy
use.
Furthermore, it would persuade them to look more seriously
into alternative energy sources, such as nuclear power
and renewables.
British energy minister Malcolm Wicks Britain hopes
to develop a new technology to “capture”
and store carbon dioxide from burning fossil fuels instead
of releasing it into the atmosphere.
“My government has said that we will publicly
fund a largescale demonstration project of carbon capture
and storage (CCS),” he said.
“It will be one of the first in the world based
on a coal-powered station, stripping out the CO2, transporting
it, storing it in a depleted oil or gas reservoir under
the North Sea.” Wicks insisted that the problem
of rising oil prices was not “a football match”
that pitched producers against consumers.—AFP
rome, april 21: high oil pri- ces are here to stay,
but they can- not be blamed for the current global food
crisis, an internation- al forum heard on monday. biofuels,
once seen as a key factor in curbing greenhouse gas
emissions, lie behind the stun- ning rise in food prices
world- wide, participants at the international energy
forum sug- gested. “a conflict (is) emerging be-
tween foodstuffs and fuel ... with disastrous social
conflicts and du- bious environmental results,”
outgoing italian prime minister romano prodi said. biofuels
were developed as part of plans to limit and reduce
greenhouse gas emissions, held responsible for global
warming. but since they are made from crops that take
up land that would otherwise be used for food production,
they have been in- creasingly blamed for soaring food
prices. qatari energy minister abdullah bin hamad al
attiyah said the world would have to choose “what
its priority is going to be driving or eating.”
he rejected suggestions that high oil prices were behind
the food crisis, which was due to food shortages. “even
the big rice exporters such as india, bangladesh and
thailand are in the process of re- ducing their exports,”
he said. venezuelan energy minister rafael ramirez said
biofuels were having a negligible impact on the oil
markets. “but look at the impact (they have) had
on food prices. it’s madness,” he said,
adding: “all the countries of latin america have
been hit by the surge in food prices.” as oil
prices spiked to fresh re- cords of above $117, participants
at the ief predicted that the sit- uation was unlikely
to change any time soon. “we believe that prices
will re- main around this level, at least around 90
dollars,” ramirez said. the chief executive of
italian energy giant enel, fulvio conti, predicted that
“oil prices will re- main high as long as demand
re- mains high.” the organisation of petroleum
exporting countries, which pro- duces around 40 per
cent of the world’s oil, denied that opening the
taps, as called for by coun- tries such as the united
states, would help. “there isn’t much opec
can do,” iraqi oil minister hussain al-shahristani
said. “opec is producing as much as the market
requires. the solution is in the hands of the speculators.
they’re the ones who are fixing the price and
not the producers.” from iran’s point of
view, oil prices were not “excessively high”
compared with other raw material prices, said iranian
petroleum minister gholamhossein nozari. international
energy agency executive director nobuo tanaka said oil
prices, at their current level, “are too high
for everybody, especially for developing coun- tries.”
no single factor was to blame, tanaka said, but a combination
of factors, such as the weaker dol- lar, speculation
and the weather, as well as the fundamentals. some oil
producers pointed out that they actually stood to gain
from high oil prices. venezuela, for example, is planning
to impose a new tax on oil profits in a move that will
cre- ate additional revenues of around nine billion
dollars. the head of libya’s national oil company,
shokri ghanem, said rising prices would translate into
substantial additional reve- nues for his country. iea
chief tanaka suggested that developments would force
consumer countries to be more efficient in their energy
use. furthermore, it would per- suade them to look more
serious- ly into alternative energy sour- ces, such
as nuclear power and renewables. british energy minister
malcolm wicks britain hopes to develop a new technology
to “capture” and store carbon diox- ide
from burning fossil fuels in- stead of releasing it
into the at- mosphere. “my government has said
that we will publicly fund a large- scale demonstration
project of carbon capture and storage (ccs),”
he said. “it will be one of the first in the world
based on a coal-pow- ered station, stripping out the
co2, transporting it, storing it in a depleted oil or
gas reservoir un- der the north sea.” wicks insisted
that the prob- lem of rising oil prices was not “a
football match” that pitched pro- ducers against
consumers.—afp |
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Asia-Pacific region needs to develop energy resources
RAWALPINDI, April 5: The United Nations Regional Commission for Asia and the Pacific, in a new report, says that the region would become selfsufficient in meeting its demand for energy if the abundant energy resources could be developed and shared optimally.
While ensuring that energy security is primarily a national concern, regional and sub-regional energy cooperation has good potential for supplementing national efforts. A strategic and collaborative policy at the regional and sub-regional levels could ensure a regional balance, says "Energy Security and Sustainable Development in Asia and the Pacific." This report has been prepared by the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and Pacific (Escap) prepared for its sixtyfourth session being held in Bangkok from 24-30 April.
In the face of the enormous energy demand that is projected for the future in order to maintain the sustainability of the region's dynamic economic growth, no strategic option could be considered complete without trans-boundary energy cooperation. Such cooperation would be needed in order to supplement national efforts in enhancing supply security and in managing energy demand in a more efficient way, emphasises the report.
Global energy demand is estimated to increase by 47 per cent in 25 years, with Asia and the Pacific accounting for almost 50 per cent of the total global energy demand in 2030. Under the baseline scenario, fossil fuels are expected to continue dominating the global energy system, representing almost 90 per cent of the total energy supply in 2030.
Of the total energy demand of 8.9 billion tons of oil equivalent in the region, coal is predicted to remain the main source of energy, followed by oil and natural gas, while nuclear and renewable sources of energy would account for slightly more than 10 per cent of the region's energy supply.
The report says the current energy infrastructure in most developing countries is grossly inadequate at worst and suboptimum at best, a situation which requires immediate attention, not only to the addition of new infrastructure, but also to the modernisation and improvement of the systems for bringing about efficiency in the production, pro cessing, transmission and distribution of energy.
The report estimates that $9 trillion financing would be needed for building new infrastructure or improving the existing structures; however, financing would be a key constraint. If a more sustainable scenario is considered for the period between 2006 and 2030, the investment figure would drop to $8.3 trillion, resulting in a savings of $766 billion.
rawalpindi, april 5: the united nations regional commission for asia and the pacific, in a new report, says that the region would become self- sufficient in meeting its demand for energy if the abundant ener- gy resources could be developed and shared optimally. while ensuring that energy se- curity is primarily a national con- cern, regional and sub-regional energy cooperation has good po- tential for supplementing nation- al efforts. a strategic and collab- orative policy at the regional and sub-regional levels could ensure a regional balance, says "energy security and sustainable development in asia and the pacific." this report has been prepared by the economic and social commission for asia and pacific (escap) prepared for its sixty- fourth session being held in bangkok from 24-30 april. in the face of the enormous energy demand that is projected for the future in order to main- tain the sustainability of the re- gion's dynamic economic growth, no strategic option could be considered complete without trans-boundary energy cooperation. such cooperation would be needed in order to sup- plement national efforts in en- hancing supply security and in managing energy demand in a more efficient way, emphasises the report. global energy demand is esti- mated to increase by 47 per cent in 25 years, with asia and the pacific accounting for almost 50 per cent of the total global ener- gy demand in 2030. under the baseline scenario, fossil fuels are expected to continue dominating the global energy system, repre- senting almost 90 per cent of the total energy supply in 2030. of the total energy demand of 8.9 billion tons of oil equivalent in the region, coal is predicted to remain the main source of ener- gy, followed by oil and natural gas, while nuclear and renewable sources of energy would account for slightly more than 10 per cent of the region's energy supply. the report says the current energy infrastructure in most de- veloping countries is grossly in- adequate at worst and subopti- mum at best, a situation which requires immediate attention, not only to the addition of new infrastructure, but also to the modernisation and improvement of the systems for bringing about efficiency in the production, pro- cessing, transmission and distri- bution of energy. the report estimates that $9 trillion financing would be nee- ded for building new infrastruc- ture or improving the existing structures; however, financing would be a key constraint. if a more sustainable scenario is con- sidered for the period between 2006 and 2030, the investment figure would drop to $8.3 trillion, resulting in a savings of $766 bil- lion
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CNG buses disappear in a haze
ISLAMABAD, April 20: A consortium which launched
a CNG bus service between the twin cities in February
with 10 buses has folded up the service in protest.
Dawn learnt on Sunday that the Midway Consortium has
informed the Capital Development Authority (CDA) that
it was no more interested in operating the service.
CDA sources said the owner of the consortium was interested
in setting up his own high-pressure gas stations for
his promised 300bus fleet and quit when the CDA refused.
It is said the consortium was pressed into launching
the service in haste because the CDA bosses wanted to
take credit for introducing CNG buses before a new elected
government took power.
With the bus service closing before really taking off,
the CDA bosses may lose face and the private consortium
the profits it would have looking for on its Rs2 billion
investment.
However the real losers will be tens of thousands low-income
people who have to commute between Islamabad and Rawalpindi
daily and were looking forward to a good bus service.
A senior CDA official said if the Midway Consortium
had been allowed to establish its own CNG stations,
it would have concentrated less on running the bus service
and more on running the filling stations.
However, the owner of the consortium, Shaikh Mureed
Hussain, said his bus service required special gas stations
as the CNG buses could not be filled at ordinary, low-pressure
gas stations.
“I had told CDA that I will suspend the bus service
if four or five big CNG stations were not established
in the capital city,” he said.
It takes 20 minutes to refill a bus at high-pressure
CNG station and four hours at ordinary stations, according
to him.
His present 10-bus fleet depended on a single high pressure
CNG station located near Pir Vadhai. That would be insufficient
for his planned 300-bus fleet and so the CDA had promised
to allow him construct a terminal for the Midway Consortium
in Sector I-11. But the CDA backed out on the promise,
he said.
The bus service was launched by the consortium and the
CDA jointly on February 11 without entering into a formal
agreement and providing necessary infrastructure.
According to the verbal understanding the firm was to
start the service with 50 buses, to be increased to
300 in three years.
islamabad, april 20: a con- sortium which launched a
cng bus service between the twin cities in february
with 10 buses has folded up the service in protest.
dawn learnt on sunday that the midway consortium has
informed the capital development authority (cda) that
it was no more interested in operating the service.
cda sources said the owner of the consortium was interested
in setting up his own high-pressure gas stations for
his promised 300- bus fleet and quit when the cda refused.
it is said the consortium was pressed into launching
the serv- ice in haste because the cda bosses wanted
to take credit for introducing cng buses before a new
elected government took power. with the bus service
closing before really taking off, the cda bosses may
lose face and the pri- vate consortium the profits it
would have looking for on its rs2 billion investment.
however the real losers will be tens of thousands low-income
people who have to commute between islamabad and rawalpindi
daily and were look- ing forward to a good bus service.
a senior cda official said if the midway consortium
had been allowed to establish its own cng stations,
it would have con- centrated less on running the bus
service and more on running the filling stations. however,
the owner of the con- sortium, shaikh mureed hussain,
said his bus service required special gas stations as
the cng buses could not be filled at ordinary, low-pressure
gas stations. “i had told cda that i will sus-
pend the bus service if four or five big cng stations
were not established in the capital city,” he
said. it takes 20 minutes to refill a bus at high-pressure
cng station and four hours at ordinary sta- tions, according
to him. his present 10-bus fleet depended on a single
high pres- sure cng station located near pir vadhai.
that would be insuffi- cient for his planned 300-bus
fleet and so the cda had promised to allow him construct
a terminal for the midway consortium in sector i-11.
but the cda backed out on the promise, he said. the
bus service was launched by the consortium and the cda
jointly on february 11 without entering into a formal
agreement and providing necessary infra- structure.
according to the verbal under- standing the firm was
to start the service with 50 buses, to be increased
to 300 in three years. |
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CNG rickshaws Rozgar scheme more bane than a boon
ISLAMABAD, April 19: Launched under the slogan
of providing jobs to the poor in September 2006, the
President’s Rozgar Scheme has emerged as a burden
on the people in the Rawalpindi region, as CNG rickshaws
financed under the programme have turned out to be fraught
with manufacturing faults.
The National Bank of Pakistan has delivered 47 rickshaws
in the Rawalpindi region so far. However, its offices
have sought an immediate halt to the scheme until the
manufacturers remove the faults.
Sources told Dawn that market and client feedback received
by the bank had found that instead of benefiting the
poor clients, the scheme had inflicted losses on them.
Majority of the vehicles distributed under the scheme
are now off the road within just a year of their distribution.
According to the feedback, the rickshaws are suffering
from abnormal engine heat expulsion besides producing
abnormal busting sound, like a tractor.
The three-wheeler has no capacity to propel and pull
on steep roads and loses motion frequently. It also
suffers from frequent clutch cable breaking, leakage
of engine oil and wiring breakdown, according to the
complaints received by the bank.
There are also complaints about the vehicle’s
body getting rust with the paint fading too fast. Its
acceleration system is also said to be defective. It
has no pick up capacity and cannot run over 20 kilometers
per hour in fourth gear.
The bank has also found that in fact no shock-observers
had been fitted in the vehicles which created problems
for the drivers and commuters even on smooth roads.
The gas kits are also believed to be non-tunable besides
the issue of shafts and cross jams.
islamabad, april 19: launched under the slogan of providing
jobs to the poor in september 2006, the president’s
rozgar scheme has emerged as a burden on the people
in the rawalpindi region, as cng rick- shaws financed
under the pro- gramme have turned out to be fraught
with manufacturing faults. the national bank of pakistan
has delivered 47 rickshaws in the rawalpindi region
so far. however, its offices have sought an immediate
halt to the scheme until the manufacturers remove the
faults. sources told dawn that market and client feedback
received by the bank had found that instead of benefiting
the poor clients, the scheme had inflicted losses on
them. majority of the vehicles distributed under the
scheme are now off the road within just a year of their
distribution. according to the feedback, the rickshaws
are suffering from abnormal engine heat expulsion besides
producing abnormal busting sound, like a tractor. the
three-wheeler has no capacity to propel and pull on
steep roads and loses motion fre- quently. it also suffers
from fre- quent clutch cable breaking, leakage of engine
oil and wiring breakdown, according to the complaints
received by the bank. there are also complaints about
the vehicle’s body getting rust with the paint
fading too fast. its acceleration system is also said
to be defective. it has no pick up capacity and cannot
run over 20 kilometers per hour in fourth gear. the
bank has also found that in fact no shock-observers
had been fitted in the vehicles which created problems
for the drivers and commuters even on smooth roads.
the gas kits are also believed to be non-tunable besides
the issue of shafts and cross jams. |
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110 CNG stations in residential areas
Saturday, April 05, 2008
Noor Aftab
Rawalpindi
A large number of CNG filling stations already exist in residential areas of Rawalpindi and more are ready to go into operation in a few months - a worrying prospect for people living around.
Residents say the mushroom growth of such facilities in the midst of densely populated localities has created myriad difficulties, besides posing a perennial threat to safety of men, women and children from likely accidents like bursting of a cylinder.
Approximately 110 CNG stations are currently operating in residential areas of the city, including Satellite Town, Asghar Mall, Bakra Mandi, Khayaban-e-Sir Syed, Ratta Amral, Chungi 22, Tench Bhata, Muslim Town, Sadiqabad and Saidpur Road.
According to the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) rules and regulations, a licensee will construct and operate gas pipeline and all works connected with CNG refuelling station, strictly complying with the provisions of the Petroleum Rules 1937 and the Gas Cylinder Rules, 1940, so as to avoid any danger to the public health and safety.
Any person authorised by OGRA may inspect and examine any place where there is any work for compressing natural gas with the purpose of storing, measuring or distribution of CNG.
"Most workers at CNG stations in Rawalpindi have not undergone proper training and they don't store gas in line with the standard set by the OGRA, making the outlets vulnerable to accidents," said an official of OGRA on condition of anonymity.
Lack of safety measures and trained workers put them and those residing in the vicinity at serious risk, as incidents had occurred time and again in the past, claiming a number of lives.
"Prior to issuance of licenses to applicants, the government should take no objection certificates (NOCs) from residents of respective localities who may have various concerns over establishment of CNG stations," said Jahangir Khan, a resident of Pindora, one of the thickly populated areas in the city.
"CNG filling stations are not only posing threat to our lives but also affect our privacy as long queues of motor vehicles have become a common scene in our locality," said Rashida Tauqeer, a housewife, living in Satellite Town.
When asked whether his workers were imparted any training by any government department, the owner of a CNG station along Saidpur Road claimed that no one working at CNG stations set up on that road has ever taken any training.
CNG Station Owners Association of Pakistan (CSOAP) President Malik Khuda Bux told 'The News' that the Hydrocarbon Development Institute of Pakistan (HDIP) was imparting training to CNG workers in Islamabad, Karachi and Lahore.
He said that the association would not support any programme of shifting CNG stations from residential to other areas as CNG owners have already made heavy investment, but "we suggest that more licences may not be issued for CNG stations in residential areas." "We are fully convinced that those CNG stations that are not following required precautionary measures should be shut down, but at the moment CNG owners are taking all possible safety measures according to irectives given by relevant authorities," he said.
DCO (Rawalpindi) Irfan Ellahi said that there was no plan yet to shift existing CNG stations to other parts of the city. "We are making efforts to ensure that all precautionary measures are being taken by owners of CNG stations in line with set rules and regulations." Irfan Ellahi said some new measures would also be taken in near future to ensure safety of people living adjacent to CNG stations in the city.
Given the increasing petroleum prices, the trend of using CNG-fitted vehicles is continuously gaining popularity among the public. It is expected that number of CNG vehicles will increase manifold in future, as gas is more economical than petrol and diesel.
According to a website of CNG Station Associations, around 150,000 vehicles are being converted to gas in a year that makes Pakistan the third largest user of CNG vehicles in the world after Argentina and Brazil.
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NBP hands over 45,000 CNG rickshaw worth Rs 5.5 bln
NBP hands over 45,000 CNG rickshaw worth Rs 5.5 bln
Karachi: National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) has so far handed over about 50,000 environment friendly CNG rickshaws worth more than Rs 5.5 billion to applicants all over Pakistan under its Rozgar scheme. This was stated by the Group Chief Consumer Banking NBP Aamir Siddiqui in an interview here Monday. He said that about 75,000 applicants have been registered so far under the scheme involving a total amount of Rs 7.5 billion.
He pointed out 20,000 registered applicants are waiting for the deliveries of CNG rickshaws from the manufacturers. "In my view, NBP is not only promoting self-unemployment among youth, but also making a humble effort by replacing heavy and dangerous smoke emitting rickshaw with CNG rickshaw", he said.
Amir said that NBP also has a distinction of developing CNG rickshaw industry in Pakistan, thus providing employment to thousands of jobless and improving environment in the country. "Currently, ten assemblers including Masters, Qingqi, Pak Hero and Sazgar are producing CNG rickshaws for NBP Rozgar scheme so that the applicant can select a rickshaw of his own choice", he opined.
He said that NBP has told the manufacturers that it will cancel the contract if the rickshaw has a generic problem. "Besides, it is in the contract that the manufacturer will refund the money, if the customers is not satisfy with the quality of rickshaw, he added.
Responding to a question about the complaints of inferior quality of rickshaws, Aamir said that NBP has canceled the contract with Qingqi after receiving reports of faults in its auto rickshaws.
He maintained that the quality of CNG rickshaws was inspected by the Engineering Development Board and Pakistan Standard and Quality Control Authority (PSQCA) before their launching. Besides, Provincial Transport Authority was also involved in the registration of these rickshaws. All of them are technical and expert organisations, he added.
Aamir said that a group of transport mafia was trying malign NBP Rozgar scheme products to avoid instalment payments which are due now. "Members of this mafia rent out their rickshaws and now they are loosing their clients after the introduction of our Rozgar scheme", heobserved. He said that no CNG rickshaw was given to applicants in Islamabad as there is a ban on rickshaw in the capital. He pointed out that NBP will soon start the campaign to recover installments. If they do not pay their dues, NBP will reposes rickshaws and give them to other applicants, he added. "We will also hold country-wide seminars to create awareness about NBP Rozgar scheme in every walk of life and let the people know the truth in this regard", he maintained. He pointed out that rickshaw manufacturers have reported to NBP that the drivers are new and naivest and therefore damage parts of rickshaw while driving.
Aamir said that companies provide free service and replacement of parts during a guarantee period and parts are available all over thecountry.
He said that the bank has plan to introduce more products in the folder of its Rozgar scheme. NBP will provide a financing to doctors having clinics in rural area for purchase of equipment like hand-held ECG machine, urine analyzer, pulse oximeter, glucose and cholesterol tester and computer with printer to provide healthcare facilities. Similarly, a financing facility upto Rs 700,000 for the purchase of small trucks and taxi for transport and general purpose supplies to and from the market.
In addition, NBP will provide a loan of Rs 500,000 under its Rozgar scheme for setting up retail business, workshops, trade shops, clinics, professional shops and other small business. Meanwhile, chairman National Forum for Environment and Health Naeem Qureshi has appreciated the efforts of NBP for introducing CNG rickshaw in the country. He also urged the federal government to impose a ban on all auto- rickshaw which are badly polluting the environment and demanded federal and provincial Environmental Protection Agency (EPAs) to replace the thick smoke emitting rickshaws with CNG fitted rickshaws.
He also appealed the non-CNG rickshaw owners to either convert their rickshaws to CNG to buy CNG-fitted rickshaw to stop further degradation of environment.
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