Bangladesh LPG Autogas Station Owners Association has demanded business-friendly policy support for expanding the autogas industry as a green fuel that belongs to an investment of Tk1000 crore.
“The government is talking about promoting environment-friendly energy, the autogas entrepreneurs are admitting bureaucratic complications to get LPG filling station licenses in terms of policy support,” Mohammad Serajul Mawla, president of the association told a seminar on the autogas industry at an international seminar in Dhaka.
The two-day Asia regional conference of the World LPG Association ended at International Convention City Bashundhara (ICCB) on Wednesday, reads a press release.
Bangladesh Autogas Station President Mohammad Serajul Mawla gave a presentation on the present and future of LPG Autogas on the first day of the conference.
Mawla said that there are 800 autogas stations in the country whose monthly consumption is about 12 thousand metric tons. Another 200 new stations are under construction, according to the trade body.
The business leader urged the revenue board to review the 7.5% value-added tax on auto has as the government pledged to promote the environment-friendly fuel like LPG.
He said that despite the shortage of natural gas in our country, it is being used as CNG for transportation, which has no economic role.
“Using LPG in the transport sector is on the one hand environment friendly while it is possible to reduce the wastage of natural gas and for value addition to industry,” Mawla added.
At present, LPG is used as fuel in around 1 lakh private cars, microbuses and three-wheelers across the country.
“Government and private sector initiatives are needed to establish LPG autogas as an environment-friendly fuel. And in this regard Autogas Association wants to work together with the government,” added Mawla.
Among others, World LPG Association managing director James Rockall, director David Taylor and Bangladesh Autogas Association Secretary General Hasin Parvez were present.