Gas Cess Ordinance extended for another 120 days

ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly Friday passed a resolution extending the Gas Infrastructure Development Cess (GIDC) Ordinance, 2014 for another 120 days amid strong protest and uproar by the opposition benches.
As the chair asked the Minister for Petroleum Shahid Khaqan Abbas to move the resolution, members from the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), Jamaat-e-Islam (JI) and Qaumi Watan Party (QWP) stood in their seats to lodge their protest.
The resolution was passed by majority voice. The ordinance, extended on Friday, was going to expire on January 22.The resolution was to be moved by the government on Thursday, but the same was deferred after protest from the opposition parties.
The opposition members took the stance that it would be undemocratic and unfair to take up such matters in the Parliament House without taking the provinces into confidence.They were of the view that the Council of Common Interests (CCI) was the best forum for the purpose.
Defending the government’s position, Shahid Khaqan Abbasi said the government would soon bring Gas Cess bill in parliament.Abbasi said it would not affect domestic consumers adding that the government wanted to resolve the gas related issues of the country. He made it clear to the house that the Gas Cess was first introduced during the PPP tenure.
About petrol shortage, he said supply of petrol would start improving within a couple of days, while its complete shortage would end by January 25.The minister said petrol demand had increased up to 25 percent in the last two weeks in the Punjab and the government was making all out efforts to arrange additional fuel to meet the growing demand.
Minister for Water and Power Khawaja Asif further clarified that petroleum shortage was a temporary phase and would be resolved within 10 to 12 days. He said the imbalance occurred due to reduced prices of petroleum products adding that loadshedding would also be controlled in three to four months.
The parliamentarians continued their protest against the indifferent attitude of Governor Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Sardar Mehtab Abbasi and staged a walkout from the house to register their protest.
Ghalib Khan, one the Fata members, said if their grievances were not addressed in a proper way, they would stage a sit-in in front of the speaker’s chair.Earlier, Minister for Inter Provincial Coordination Riaz Pirzada introduced a bill ‘the minimum wages for unskilled workers (amendment), 2015’.
The bill envisages minimum wages’ increase from Rs10,000 to Rs12,000 per month for welfare of the labour class. ‘The prevention of electronic crimes bill, 2015’ was also introduced in the lower house.Chairman NA Special Committee Omar Ayub Khan laid before the house a report on investigation into the allegation of non-payment of taxes by a number of parliamentarians.