Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) has asked the Government of Pakistan to set standards for petroleum products so that the companies selling gasoline provide quality petrol to local consumers. The authority has recommended the government to take the necessary action on the urgent basis, as the automakers from Pakistan and Japan are unhappy about the fuel quality.
Previously, Pakistan Automotive Manufacturers Association (PAMA) and Japan Automotive Manufacturers Association (JAMA) had expressed their concerns over fuel quality in Pakistan. As asserted by both the associations, a large quantity of manganese is being used in gasoline, which is not only harmful to the car but also for human health as well.
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Japan Automotive Manufacturers Association also visited Pakistan last month to put forth their concerns and requested the authorities to minimize the usage of manganese in fuel and eventually get rid of it.
The issue that oil companies were using manganese to increase the RON of gasoline was reported by Honda Pakistan last year in August. The government constituted a committee in November 2017 which was comprised of OGRA and other regulators in a bid to set specifications and standards of manganese content in the petroleum products. OGRA and other regulators have met several times but have not given new standards.
Moreover, it is worth mentioning here that the tests conducted by OGRA and Hydrocarbon Development Institute of Pakistan (HDIP) on petrol samples showed that oil refineries are adding different kinds of chemicals and additives to increase the quality of low-quality petrol.
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