APTMA welcomes LNG Policy 2011

KARACHI: All Pakistan Textile Mills Association (APTMA) Chairman, Ejaz Gohar has welcomed the government’s Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) Policy 2011 and dubbed it as right step in the right direction in the larger interest of national economy, Geo News reported.

Chairman APTMA appreciated the efforts of Minister for Petroleum and Natural Resources Dr Asim Hussain for taking personal interest in bringing LNG into the system, as this project was of vital importance for the country’s economy.

APTMA Chairman said the textile industry production was badly hit by gas shortage of 900 MMCFD in winter and 400 MMCFD in summer, limiting the industry production by 30 percent below the potential.

He said the APTMA is fully supportive to the LNG Policy 2011 and expressed the hope that the textile industry would be able to overcome 500 MMCFD gas supply shortage. Import of LNG under the LNG Policy 2011 would be a considerable relief to the textile industry in the years ahead, he added.

However, he pointed out that direct import of LNG by third party and its direct supply to consumers would only be beneficial to the IPPs and not the general as well as textile industry. Therefore, it is very important that the LNG supply should be brought into the gas pool of the SNGPL and the SSGC, already having 4000 MMCFD gas.