Changes in LNG policy urged

Islamabad
Islamabad Chamber of Small Traders Patron Shahid Rasheed Butt on Thursday said discouraging transport sector is hitting the LNG policy which must be taken seriously by policymakers.
Minor changes in the LNG policy could help the country in reducing energy shortage and save billions of dollars besides reducing pollution.
Shahid Rasheed Butt said that LNG is suited for transport sector to replace the costly petrol which can help country save billions in the energy import bill which is not acceptable to oil mafia and gas companies.
He said that the government should consider bringing sales tax on imported gas from 5 per cent to zero to make it viable for the private sector. Mian Zahid Hussain said that gas utilities are charging 11 percent losses while demanding to jack up losses to 16 per cent which is illegal as Ogra has determined loses to be 10.63 per cent. He asked the policymakers to pay more attention to LNG as its price will slide in the summer 2015 while there is no chance of notable price hike in the next decade as world’s regasification capacity is set to get a boost of 75 per cent in the next 5-7 years.