Not sure of this is the right place but this is a good idea for Pakistan..what do you guys think?:
Save Rs15 billion
Pakistan needs to reduce the careless disposal of about 1,25,000 tons of used lubricants. Besides, the recycling of this oil can save up to Rs15 billion incurred annually on its import.
The annual consumption of lubricant oils in our country is approximately 2,50,000 tons, which generates 1,25,000 tons used oil, out of which 75,000 tons could be refined annually through the recycling process saving Rs15 billion spent on its import.
The local industry is reclaiming only 20,000 tons of used oil per annum out of 1,25,000 tons, majority of the remaining lubricants go to illegal refineries operating all over the country. The worst of all is that these illegal operators use substandard chemicals in the refining process, which is harmful to the environment.
Such type of recycled oils are harmful to the human body while the oil used in vehicles coming from such sick refineries causes heavy smoke emission, which is very toxic. One of the major reasons of thriving business of illegal refineries is the cost factor, legal refining after obtaining licence from the federal government brings the operator under heavy tax net, thus they cannot beat the former in open market.
In 1980, the government granted approval to establish 10 such reclamation units in Karachi, Lahore, Multan and Faisalabad but due to lack of any incentive and protection, eight local refineries have closed down.
The reclamation industry conserves foreign exchange and the government could earn about one billion rupees of central excise duty, if all of the used oil is refined in the country.
Besides, the major problem posed by these illegal refineries is that the people concerned are usually found involved in the business of filling substandard oil in cans of popular brands of different oil companies, which is a matter of early consideration as it causes threats of damage to the environment and defamation to the leading companies.
Kalim-ur-Rehman,
Karachi.