Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) dealers have been having a great time since the government allowed the deregulation of prices in December 2016. On Thursday, it came to knowledge that the prices of CNG in Karachi have been raised from Rs74 to Rs75 per kg and other sellers have also revised their rates to Rs74 from Rs73 previously.
Since the deregulation at the end of December 2016, this is the fourth time that the prices of CNG have been increased when they stood at Rs 67.5 per kg. According to Chairman of Sindh chapter of All Pakistan CNG Association, Shabbir Sulemanji the increasing price of CNG reflects the cost of gas which also includes tax and duties. According to him, K-Electric charges the highest rates of electricity from CNG dealers across Pakistan. He added that with the inclusion of other expenses, labor charges and power bill cost the price of CNG reaches to around Rs72 per kg. He concluded by saying that in comparison to petrol, CNG is still cheaper by Rs 24-25 per liter.
It has been proposed by consumer rights activists that the government should take over the responsibility of fixing CNG prices and formulate a mechanism for it. Since the government’s decision to deregulate, the CNG dealers have been manipulating the prices and exploiting their authority for making undue gains.
