by Masroor GilaniÂ
Nobody would have imagined that petrol prices would rise to the current level of more than one US dollar per liter, but our worst nightmare has come true. Jiyo (long live) Musharraf-- whose government did it and now saying "not our fault" because the prices of petroleum have risen sharply in international market since last year. Â
Well if we live in a global economy and everything in Pakistan is linked with the international market, then what stops the government from linking salaries and wages with the international market? Â
Former premier Shaukat Aziz's government had been freezing the domestic oil prices for 22 months to muster more votes in elections and when it did not happen and it lost miserably, it passed the buck on to the people of Pakistan with just two big increases of 7 percent and 10.7 percent in the first fortnight of March 2008.Â
What an economic wizard he was to claim more than seven percent growth rate! while leaving the country in acute electricity shortage and burdening it with massive external and internal debt. Now the current increase in petroleum prices have caused a spiral effect on the prices of all other commodities, making it extremely difficult for middle and low income people to beat the inflation.Â
The consumer price index issued by the Federal Bureau of Statistics recorded nearly 12 percent increase in January 2008 from the same month last year, with fuel and food made more costlier than ever before.Â
Pakistanis love cars and during the past five years, the car industry has grown phenomenally due to liberal bank financing and easy loans. Buying a new or used imported car is not a problem anymore, but the real challenge is to fuel it as petrol has now gone beyond the reach of even higher income groups.Â
The obvious choice is to buy a car retro-fitted with Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) at assembly plants, or get it done from the thousands of workshops across Pakistan. The fueling costs can be reduced by about 60-65 percent, but a consumer has to face some snags in running and maintaining the vehicles on CNG.Â
The up side is no doubt savings on fuel costs, but downside is low acceleration, lack of trunk space in hatchbacks, heavy weight of gas cylinder and a jerky ride if you are not lucky enough to find a good technician.Â
Pakistan now ranks third in the CNG using country after Argentina and Brazil with nearly one million vehicles and 1500 filling stations hooked to natural gas pipeline. Most of the pumping stations equipment and conversions kit are imported from Italy, Brazil, USA and New Zealand.Â
The average cost of converting a petrol or gasoline engine car to CNG ranges between 500 dollars to 650 dollars and the conversion kits are widely available in Pakistan.Â
Despite its snags, the saving factor makes CNG a popular choice of fuel for majority of Pakistani motorists as compared to ever expensive petrol. Price factor aside, the biggest benefit of CNG is that it is a clean fuel and reduces air pollution significantly.�
Nobody would have imagined that petrol prices would rise to the current level of more than one US dollar per liter, but our worst nightmare has come true. Jiyo (long live) Musharraf-- whose government did it and now saying "not our fault" because the prices of petroleum have risen sharply in international market since last year. Â
Well if we live in a global economy and everything in Pakistan is linked with the international market, then what stops the government from linking salaries and wages with the international market? Â
Former premier Shaukat Aziz's government had been freezing the domestic oil prices for 22 months to muster more votes in elections and when it did not happen and it lost miserably, it passed the buck on to the people of Pakistan with just two big increases of 7 percent and 10.7 percent in the first fortnight of March 2008.Â
What an economic wizard he was to claim more than seven percent growth rate! while leaving the country in acute electricity shortage and burdening it with massive external and internal debt. Now the current increase in petroleum prices have caused a spiral effect on the prices of all other commodities, making it extremely difficult for middle and low income people to beat the inflation.Â
The consumer price index issued by the Federal Bureau of Statistics recorded nearly 12 percent increase in January 2008 from the same month last year, with fuel and food made more costlier than ever before.Â
Pakistanis love cars and during the past five years, the car industry has grown phenomenally due to liberal bank financing and easy loans. Buying a new or used imported car is not a problem anymore, but the real challenge is to fuel it as petrol has now gone beyond the reach of even higher income groups.Â
The obvious choice is to buy a car retro-fitted with Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) at assembly plants, or get it done from the thousands of workshops across Pakistan. The fueling costs can be reduced by about 60-65 percent, but a consumer has to face some snags in running and maintaining the vehicles on CNG.Â
The up side is no doubt savings on fuel costs, but downside is low acceleration, lack of trunk space in hatchbacks, heavy weight of gas cylinder and a jerky ride if you are not lucky enough to find a good technician.Â
Pakistan now ranks third in the CNG using country after Argentina and Brazil with nearly one million vehicles and 1500 filling stations hooked to natural gas pipeline. Most of the pumping stations equipment and conversions kit are imported from Italy, Brazil, USA and New Zealand.Â
The average cost of converting a petrol or gasoline engine car to CNG ranges between 500 dollars to 650 dollars and the conversion kits are widely available in Pakistan.Â
Despite its snags, the saving factor makes CNG a popular choice of fuel for majority of Pakistani motorists as compared to ever expensive petrol. Price factor aside, the biggest benefit of CNG is that it is a clean fuel and reduces air pollution significantly.�
Comments
It surely saves the day for people like us
If you save money on a car better start walking.... Once you will enter into this phase, you will understand what I mean to say.
You will become like me and will find ways to fillup petrol in your car everyday.
Be brave and fight with world, if the economy going higher you should also increase your value accordingly and keep your cars on petrol.
Be brave please and struggle for life, which is really great.
Don't carry a semi bomb type stuff in your cars and stop waiting like fools in CNG queue....
CNG means Chalti Nahee Gari
Be ECO friendly,
Turn of the tap while you brush your teeth,
Save energy
Thanks
Saqib