ISLAMABAD: (Parliament Times) The prices of natural gas for the domestic consumers have been increased by more than 100 percent and the consumers have received the first enhanced bill this month even the government has failed to maintain smooth and full pressure of the gas to the consumers in this winter season.
The price of the natural gas has been increased following the increase of the prices of all the gas fields and they had already increased their prices after the approval from the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA).
The OGRA gave the approval in July this year to all 47 gas fields to increase the prices of gas by 111 percent and notification in this regard was issued accordingly. The two main gas supply companies Sui Southern Gas Pipelines Limited (SSGPL) and Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) have increased the prices from November this year and bills dispatched to consumers in the first week of December have been sent with more than 100 percent increase in the gas price.
A spokesman of the OGRA clarified that the increased allowed to gas fields with a view to meet their increasing expenditures and according they were allowed to increase the price of the natural gas being provided to the SNGPL and SSGPL, the main distributors of the gas to the domestic consumers. The government claimed that prices of natural gas in Pakistan are already very low as compared to the neighboring countries.
Pakistan has shortage of natural gas, and during the winter season, most of the domestic consumers remained without proper supply of the gas for two to three months in severe cold weather. The government has started import of LNG but still due to increasing demand in the gas both in domestic and commercial sectors, there is still shortage of the gas especially during the winter season.
The domestic consumers have expressed their concern and anguish over the new bills for the natural gas, which are almost double as compared to the previous months, even though they are not getting gas continuously with full pressure and people are forced to buy costly LNG through cylinders for even cooking purposes due to load-shedding of gas. Protests have become routine matter by the consumers against the government for load-shedding of the gas especially in morning and evening times when they need it for cooking purposes but the government has not been giving any attention to resolve this problem of the people.
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