rki.news
BY Mian Naveed Afzal, Bureau Chief Lahore
Islamabad: The government has prepared a major action plan to control the ongoing gas crisis in the country. Fundamental reforms in the energy sector and institutional coordination will be given priority. On the Prime Minister’s instructions, the National Coordination and Management Council will directly monitor gas supply, pricing, and demand-supply matters.
According to sources, all measures of the Power Task Force will now be brought under the new council. The Prime Minister has also sought a detailed progress report on gas reforms from the Secretary of Petroleum by May 8. The government has decided that new LNG connections will remain suspended until gas supply improves. To increase local production, weekly reports have been requested from Mari, OGDCL, PPL, and MOL companies. Under the new strategy, the load shedding schedule for domestic consumers will also be reviewed.
Sources say that the government has decided to promote the use of cheaper local gas instead of expensive imported gas. OGRA and the relevant task force have also been directed to maintain current gas prices and estimate the financial impact for generating additional revenue.