KARACHI, July 26: Amidst the presence of two long established associations representing the CNG sector, the Director Trade Organisation (DTO), ministry of commerce, has granted a license to a third newly formed association — All Pakistan CNG Association (APCNGA) — creating a confusion. It has issued a directive informing ministries and departments that only APCNGA is authorised to represent the sector.

Chairman APCNGA, Sindh Zone, Junaid Makda has claimed in a statement that the ministry has stated that sub section (I) of section 6 of the Trade Ordinance, 1961, does not allow unlicensed trade bodies to use words like federation, chamber or association. The ministry has requested all concerned ministries and departments not to correspond or collaborate with the unlicensed trade bodies/associations till the confirmation of their legal status from the commerce ministry (DTO wing), Islamabad.

Meanwhile, chairman CNG Dealers Association (CNGDA) Abdul Sami Khan said that the recognition of the new ‘so called’ association by the ministry would not make any difference as majority of the dealers were member of his association.

He said that the CNGDA, having 450 members all over the country, was not registered with the ministry of commerce but it was registered with other government bodies. The CNGDA has been active in holding negotiations with the government on policy and price issues and it will continue to hold meetings with the government departments.

Mr Sami said that he was also the chairman of the FPCCI standing committee on CNG and he remained in touch with various departments of provincial and federal governments on policy issues, besides inviting officials of the relevant government departments to interact with the CNG sector.

Chairman CNG Station Owners Association, Malik Khuda Bux said his association was registered under a Trust. However, he expressed surprise over the ministry’s decision despite the fact very well known to the ministry that station owners had been holding dialogue on various issues with the petroleum and other relevant ministries for the last many years.

“We will take up the issue with the commerce ministry in order to clear the confusion,” he said.