Sameer Nazir
KARACHI: SSGC faced two continuous line ruptures on its main transmission pipelines during the current week. Both ruptures tremendously affected the gas supply and line pack in SSGC’s network. The first sabotage activity took place at SSGC’s 16 inch dia main high pressure transmission gas pipeline near Hyderabad on May 20, 2014 at 09:50 pm. The second sabotage activity occurred on SSGC’s 18 inch dia main high pressure transmission pipeline in Pat feeder canal area on May 21, 2014 at 03:50 am early morning.
Following these incidents, the effected sections of pipelines were immediately isolated. Company’s emergency response teams were moved to take necessary measures. After the security clearance, SSGC’s technical crew, which was well equipped with heavy repair equipments and necessary material, started the repair work immediately. The repair work on both the pipelines has already been completed.
Subsequently, the availability of gas decreased significantly resulting in depletion of gas pressure in the system. In order to manage the situation, SSGC’s management has decided to observe additional day of CNG shut down in Karachi and Interior Sindh regions during the current week. This step would help in restoring the line pack in the system and would ensure the uninterrupted supply of gas to its customers in the franchise area.
In compliance with the sectoral priority order for gas load management, during current week, all CNG Stations in Karachi region would remain closed from 08:00 am on Saturday May 24, 2014 till 08:00 am on Sunday May 25, 2014 for 24 hours as an additional one day shut down.
As a change in earlier published schedule for interior Sindh the CNG stations will now remain closed on Friday May 23, 2014 from 8:00 am till Saturday May 24, 2014 instead of Saturday May 24, 2014. The additional shut down in interior Sindh region will be observed on Sunday May 25, 2014 from 8:00 am for another 24 hours.
Furthermore, all the industrial and captive power units in the entire Sindh region will observe gas shut down as per usual schedule, which will start from 07:00 am on Sunday May 25, 2014 and will end at 07:00 am on Monday May 26, 2014. The surveillance teams will be monitoring compliance, have been fully authorized to disconnect gas supply for 48 hours of any customer found violating the above schedule.
SSGC regrets the inconvenience which may be caused to CNG users and industrialists during the above notified shut down period.
GSP plus Status Endangered by Ongoing Media War in Pakistan: Goods Transporters Association
Sameer Nazir
KARACHI: “Granted by the European Union last year, the GSP plus status is endangered by the ongoing media war in Pakistan, and the likely renunciation of the coveted status may ruin the entire national economy to further degrees”, Chairman Goods Transporters Association revealed in an official statement, which was released after an emergency meeting held among the local goods transporters yesterday in Karachi.
Expressing his deep concern on the ongoing media crisis in the country,Mr. Naseem Ahmed Khan, Chairman and the leader of Goods Transporters Association of Pakistan, termed the very media rivalry as a ‘suicide attack’ to the entire national economy, and the continuation of the same will negatively result into the possible trade restrictions imposed by the international bodies.
“We all need to behave responsibly, as media owners must sit together and try to resolve their internal issues through peaceful ways, instead of staging a media war against each other on the local print and electronic media”, Chairman Goods Transporters added.
He was of the view that the grant of GSP Plus status by the European Union (EU) was one of the biggest achievements and we had to protect the coveted status by all conceivable means.
He said, “Not only the grant of GSP+ status will multiply our total exports from 1 to 1.5 billion dollars each year, but the same will also mitigate the mounting unemployment ratio in the country. “Now we are able to market our textile products in the European region at very competitive prices, as this premium GSP+ status enables us to legally avoid paying 3 to 10% extra duties on exports, which was previously being enjoyed by the Asian countries like Bangladesh, Malaysia and Sri Lanka”, added by Naseem Ahmed Khan.
In his recent statement, the Chairman Goods Transporters Association urged local TV channel owners to overcome the current strife, as this may negatively cause greater losses to the existing economic growth and progress.
“We must see beyond ourselves, and act like responsible citizens and businessmen”, Mr. Khan urged. Chairman Goods Transporters Association of Pakistan, also, requested the government to confer an industry status to goods transportations, as this sector has the potential to become the 3rdlargest industry of the country, followed by the agriculture and textile sectors.