(15 December 2017)
President Pakistan Businessmen and Intellectuals Forum (PBIF), President AKIA, Senior Vice Chairman of the Businessmen Panel of FPCCI and former provincial minister Mian Zahid Hussain on Friday criticized decision of a gas facility to deny natural gas to the private housing societies and provide them with costly LNG.
He also criticized the decision of the gas company to put the burden of the connections, billing and recovery on the owners of the housing projects which will add to their problems.
Mian Zahid Hussain said that the government had repeatedly claimed that imported gas would be provided to the commercial and industrial sector while the domestic sector would get local gas.
Now, the authorities are not keeping their promise as and trying to milk masses for profit which is not acceptable, he said, adding that such a move will damage the economy and the masses.
The move to provide costly LNG to masses will dent the reputation of the government which had assured masses that import of LNG will not hurt their interests, he added.
The veteran business leader said that government has failed to cater the increasing demand of housing units while the private sector is trying to bridge the gap, therefore, it should not be discouraged.
Property and housing sector is growing at a fast pace supporting dozens of industries and providing jobs to tens of millions, therefore, it should be spared.
The decision of the gas company will result in a crisis in which masses can lose trillions of rupees, The former minister warned.
