ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Petroleum and Natural Resources Shahid Khaqan Abbasi on Thursday announced that there will be no hike in the gas prices for the domestic consumers.
While addressing a press conference, he said that the government would not increase gas prices and existing level of prices would be maintained. It is pertinent to mention here that Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) had recently decided to increase gas price up to 36 percent for the ongoing financial year.
The minister also announced that OGDCL has made three discoveries in Sindh which will help adding 30 mmcfd of gas to the system. Two discoveries were made in Mithri and Gundanwari of District Khairpur, while one was made in Khamiso of District Gothki, he said.
Flanked by OGDCL Chairman Zahid Muzaffar and OGDCL CEO Zahid Mir, the minister said that the domestic consumers in Punjab province were facing 40 percent gas shortages. After 18th amendment, domestic consumers in Punjab were facing gas shortage as now the government is bound to provide more gas to the gas producing province. “We have proposed that the domestic consumers, in all the provinces, should be our primary recipient of gas, but it is not possible under the current interpretation of the constitutional provision” he maintained. “Council of Common Interests (CCI) needs to review this clause for uniform gas distribution for domestic consumers in all provinces, he added.
