ISLAMABAD
Chairman of Federation of Pakistan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) Regional Committee on Industries, Atif Ikram Sheikh Sunday said government’s LNG policy was matchless and perfect which had reduced energy crisis, improved productivity resulting in the provision of jobs.
He said that the government implemented its LNG policy well in the time that has reduced energy scarcity in the country and improved confidence of the investors.
However, he was of the view that one LNG terminal was insufficient for the needs of the country and therefore, the government should construct additional terminals on fast track basis while private companies interested in this business should also be facilitated.
He said that Industrial units, power plants, textile industry, fertiliser sector and CNG sector rely on the imported gas while one terminal lacks the capacity to satisfy needs of all the sectors.
Moreover, in the case of any fault all the sectors dependent on imported fuel suffer a lot resulting in heavy losses which calls for alternative arrangements, he added.
Atif Ikram Sheikh said that recently the sole LNG terminal wasn’t fully operational for few days resulting in the suspension of gas supply in Punjab creating problems for the private sector and the masses.
He said that the terminal with a regasification capacity of 600 million cubic feet per day (mcfd) was not entirely operational and gas supply suspension to four power plants increased power shortfall by 800 megawatts which added to the miseries of the masses in the hot weather.
