Pakistan Government tightens noose around CNG users

Just a day after burdening the consumers with a massive hike of 10 to 13 percent in petroleum oil product prices, the government on Friday further tightened the noose around the compressed natural gas (CNG) motorists by jacking up the prices by Rs 2 per kilogramme in the densely populated provinces of Sindh and Punjab.
The Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) notified a Rs 2 increase in CNG price taking it to Rs 55.78 per kg in Sindh and Punjab while reducing prices by Rs 0.23 per kg in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan and Potohar region bringing it down to Rs 58.55 with effect from today (Saturday).
The OGRA notification said the prices had been fixed in accordance with cabinet’s Economic Coordination Committee’s decision of July 2009. OGRA also done away with its previous four-tier slab structure implemented in CNG price effective from March 1, 2011, owing to feedback from various stakeholders including the CNG Associations.
These prices will stay until further notification. Under the new two-tier slab structure, the country has been divided in two regions for the CNG prices, Region-I includes Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan and Potohar.
An official source said the revision in tariff has been made after the improvement in gas supplies and to adjust the hike in electricity prices.