Staff Reporter
Lahore
The Pakistan Industrial and Traders Association Front (PIAF) has appreciated the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) for taking action against companies responsible for fuel scarcity, urging it to also take notice of the record jump in oil prices, which were announced out of schedule, neither adopting any legal process nor prompted by any summary moved by the regulator.
PIAF Chairman Mian Nauman Kabir, in a joint statement with senior vice chairman Nasir Hameed and vice chairman Javed Siddiqi on Wednesday, welcomed the move by the oil regulator, imposing Rs5 million penalty each on three oil marketing companies (OMCs) after they were found involved in creating artificial shortage of petrol in the country by hoarding the commodity.
Mian Nauman Kabir observed that the fuel shortage, especially of gasoline, had caused serious difficulties to businesses as well as citizens for almost the whole month across Pakistan, as long queues of motor riders at fuel stations were also seen to fill their vehicles’ tanks. The fuel shortage started because of the short supply to the fuel stations by the private oil companies after the central government reduced fuel prices in the start of this month.
PIAF chairman said that majority of the fuel stations across the country have been closed by the owners, while the fuel stations, which had the stock increased the prices of the commodity by more than 100 percent.
PIAF senior vice chairman Nasir Hameed said that smooth and uninterrupted supply of furnace oil to the industry is of paramount importance as the industry is heavily dependent on it not only for captive power plants but also for running steam boilers.
He complained that the entire cost of fuel was paid in advance to the oil marketing companies but they had halted the supplies for no obvious reason. The industry continued to demand dispatch of oil shipments by oil companies to the industry for which payments had already been made in advance, he said.
Vice chairman Javed Siddiqi appreciated the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority for issuing first show-cause notices to oil marketing companies seeking explanations and reasons for the petrol shortage at the fuel stations.
