PESHAWAR: President Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industry Faiz Mohammad rejected the decision of Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority regarding bringing increase in gas prices up to 143 percent and termed the decision a violation of article 158 of Pakistan Constitution.
He said that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Sindh and Balochistan are producing 18%, 69% and 4% respectively and bringing sudden increase up to 143 percent in gas prices was utter violation of laws of the this country. He added that due to this decision of the government, the business community of the country badly suffered which will ultimately increase the prices of daily commodities for common people.
He went on to say that due to unwise decision of the government the industrial sector of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have already been suffered due to prolong power outage and now the abrupt increase in the prices of gas both for domestic and industrial sector will further increase prices hiking.
He said that prices of CNG sector always increased up to 40 percent which would cause increase the transportation charges for supplying of goods. He said that gas was an important raw product for industry and increasing gas prices would stop the growth of manufacturing sector and would have direct impact on consumer.
He demanded of the government to withdraw decision of gas prices for gas producing province which is clear violation of the constitution. He also suggested for taking the business community into confidence before taking any major decision regarding bringing hike in the prices of oil and gas.
