ISLAMABAD:Chairman Public Accounts Committee Noor Alam Khan on Tuesday made a written request to the Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to uplift ban on new gas connection to the domestic consumer and laying of gas pipeline network in the deprived areas.
Federal Secretary for Petroleum Ali Raza Bhutta briefing the committee said that resources of natural gas were declining with the ratio of 10 percent annually whereas the demand of the gas was increasing with every passing day.
He said the government was trying to reduce the gap of supply and demand through Regassified Liquid Natural Gas (RLNG) which was also scarce in the international market and had high demand in Europe and its buying power was much higher than Pakistan.
The Prime Minister during his recent visit to Qatar had requested the government of Qatar for additional cargo to meet the demands, said the secretary adding “We are thankful to Qatar for selling gas to us on 15 US dollar although they could sell it in International market at US dollar 60.”
He said the government was exploring the market and wherever the RLNG was available on cheaper rates and bought the commodity, adding It seemed difficult to buy a spot cargo for winters.
The secretary said that more than half of the natural gas of SNGPL was provided to the domestic consumer on subsidized rates.
Noor Alam remarked that the Public Accounts Committee was raising the issue for last two years so far no action was taken by the government but they were now left with only option to write to the Prime Minister for provision of gas connections to the domestic consumers.