May 17, 2002	Friday	Rabi-ul-Awwal 4, 1423

KARACHI, May 16: Federal Minister for Petroleum and Natural Resources Usman Aminuddin has said that All Pakistan Textile Processing Mills Association (APTPMA) will be allowed to issue NOCs for gas connection for power generation only if the Ministry of Industry issues a letter confirming that the mills are engaged in production of value-added textiles.

The minister gave this assurance to a APTPMA delegation led by its chairman action committee, G.R. Arshad, at Islamabad.

The delegation took up various issues like excessive billing by SSGC during 10 months, bank guarantee/deposit against bills, arbitrary fixing of gross calorific value at 950 BTU, non- transparent system of evaluating BTU and unjust gas subsidiary to fertilizer industries.

Usman said that the ministry cannot interfere in the affairs of the SSGC. However, he promised to send Director General (Gas) to arrange meetings with the representatives of the company to resolve the problems being faced by APTPMA members.