Opposition senator: Gas subsidy blackmail
PORT SPAIN
Trinidad Express
Petroleumworldtt.com
17 10 08
Government is blackmailing the people by threatening to remove the gas subsidy in two years to spur conversion to Compress Natural Gas (CNG), Opposition Senator Mohammed Faisal Rahaman says.
"That is governance by terror," Rahaman said, as he argued there are no proper programmes in place for this conversion because people cannot afford the conversion kits, nor are there sufficient CNG service stations.
He added that subsidies have become a farce, as Government can still increase the cost of fuel, as they did with premium gas, while maintaining the subsidy.
Speaking on a motion to reduce the excise duties of CNG in the Senate yesterday, Rahaman said Government is taking a backward step in this move. He pointed out that in China, cars are being converted to use Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG), which we manufacture in this country.
He explained that Government's CNG initiative is like telling the people to use 35mm cameras for photography when there is a genre of digital cameras available.
Rahaman also said the Government should lead by example, as he pointed out that some 400 new busses that were recently acquired are not CNG-fitted.
Minister in the Ministry of Finance Mariano Browne, in introducing the motion to the Senate, spoke of the number of benefits from CNG conversion.
He said there are environmental benefits, as cleaner gases are emitted, improvement in engine wear and tear, as well as the reduction in engine noise because of the reduced octane levels.
Browne said there are only 3,500 vehicles currently using CNG and the major problem is the insufficient number of service stations, but added that there are plans to increase these stations over the next few years.
By Anna Ramdass
, from Trinidad
& Tobago Express
Trinidad
Express
Friday, November 14th 2008
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