ISLAMABAD:
Pakistan’s Petroleum Division has issued a new framework banning new gas connections to domestic consumers. In this regard, the division has directed the gas utilities to reject around three million pending applications, submitted by the domestic consumers, officials said on Wednesday.
The framework, approved by the federal cabinet and sent to Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC) and Sui Northern Gas Pipelines (SNGP), shifts provision of new connections to imported gas, which will cost consumers about 70% more than locally produced gas.
According to the new policy, SSGC and SNGP will be able to provide imported gas connections to 50% of applicants within a time period of maximum one year, on payment of an urgent fee. Consumers who pay the fee will be connected to the imported gas supply within three months.
Households whose connections have remained inactive for a year will also be shifted to imported gas.
Officials said the framework consists of nine conditions governing imported gas connections and is aimed at reducing pressure on depleting domestic reserves.
A week earlier, the federal cabinet approved the resumption of new gas connections across the country, ending a ban imposed in 2021. Petroleum Minister Ali Pervaiz Malik said that the federal cabinet has approved the resumption of new gas connections across the country, lifting the ban imposed in 2021.
Briefing the media on cabinet decisions, he said the government had responded to strong public demand by lifting the ban on new connections.
He added the cabinet decided to allow new domestic gas connections, particularly in newly-developed housing areas where residents were forced to rely on LPG cylinders and alternative fuels.
The minister assured that both Sui companies had already completed procurement processes for meters and pipelines, and would immediately begin processing pending applications once the official notification is issued.
Existing applicants would also be given the option to convert their requests to RLNG-based connections by paying the prescribed security fee to OGRA, he added.
