Expressing its helplessness to provide natural gas to transport, industry and even domestic consumers in four winter months, the government announced yesterday that a ban on new gas schemes was being lifted.
Petroleum Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi said at a meeting of the National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Petroleum that the government would stop supplying gas to CNG stations in Punjab next year.
He said the sector would be able to sell CNG only if it was able to import liquefied natural gas, adding that even the imported gas would be 35 per cent cheaper than petrol. He said it had become difficult to meet the demand of the residential sector and, therefore, it would not be possible to provide gas to CNG and industrial sectors for four months.
Mr Abbasi said the government had ensured uninterrupted supply of electricity to industries, instead of gas because of its shortage.
The meeting presided over by Bilal Ahmed Virk was informed by Petroleum Secretary Abid Saeed that the prime minister had lifted the ban on new gas schemes and now the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority would increase gas tariff to finance these schemes.
