ISLAMABAD, July 6: Once the certification process of vehicles run on CNG is completed, gas stations across the country will stop serving the vehicles not having certified CNG fittings, the National Assembly was told on Friday.

Petroleum Minister Dr Asim Hussain stated during the Question Hour that a digital chip fitted to the certified vehicles would help the gas stations refuse gas to uncertified vehicles.

“No sub-standard gas kits are being manufactured in the country.  Ogra does not have such information,” the minister said in reply to a question raised by Dr Mohammad Ayub Sheikh.

A ban imposed by the government on the import of CNG cylinders and conversion kits on December 15, 2011, and on private vehicles switching from petrol to CNG, had given rise to suspicion of sub-standard manufacturing at home.

Public transport buses and vans were exempted from the ban.

Kits of only seven companies have been approved for use in transport vehicles and more than 100 workshops across the country have been appointed to certify the quality of CNG fittings in the vehicles.

“During the checking, unapproved CNG equipment and CNG cylinders will be replaced,” the minister said.

These workshops have been approved by the Chief Inspector of Explosives (CIE) and certified by the Hydrocarbon Development Institute of Pakistan (HDIP). The two institutions are statuary bodies for the purpose and were developing the criteria for CNG system to be installed in vehicles, especially the pubic service vehicles.

“Uncertified vehicles shall not be given fitness certificate, and route permit, by the relevant transport authorities,” said the minister.

The seven companies approved to supply CNG kits for Pakistan are Landi Renzo, Lovato and BRC of Italy, Voltran CNG Conversion kit of Turkey, Sagas Autotec CNG Conversion Kit model CK34BRJB of India and Tesla Industries model EPM-05 and LR Pak (pvt) Ltd of Pakistan.

Petroleum Minister Asim informed the National Assembly that there are three kinds of conversions to CNG in the country - those done by the vehicle manufacturer, by the workshops authorised either by the CIE or HDIP.

However, a vast number of conversions are carried out by illegal roadside workshops, he added.

“This is the area where the certified criterion is mostly not followed. The provincial governments have been requested time and again to take strict action against these workshops. However, the government has not set any deadline for completing the certification process,” the minister said.