Pakistan imports 55 percent of black tea from Kenya and 17 percent from India, Parliamentary Secretary for National Food and Research Natasha Daultana told the National Assembly on Thursday. Answering various questions during the Question Hour, she said that domestic production was not sufficient, therefore the country had to import tea in bulk quantity.
At present, she said, the cultivation and processing of tea was being carried out only at National Tea Research Institute (NTRI) in Mansehra and some quantity of international quality tea was being produced there. Parliamentary Secretary for Cabinet Khurram Jahangir Wattoo said that the previous government had issued as many as 200 illegal licenses for CNG stations, but the government was vigilant and no such license had so far been issued. He said that there was a shortage of gas in the country and the government was concerned in this regard.
Jahangir Watto said that the Supreme Court took notice of the revision in CNG prices on weekly basis in October last year. The apex court, he said, had directed Ogra to audit accounts of CNG stations, while determining the revised CNG prices. Accordingly, Ogra directed all CNG station owners and licence holders to submit their accounts for the past two years.
There are 3,395 CNG stations in the country, of which 3,030 had submitted their accounts, whereas 983 CNG stations had submitted incomplete account details. Final audit reports of 1,047 CNG stations had been submitted. The remaining stations had been asked to submit their reports within 15 days, he said.
