Winter gas woes

As winter descends upon the country, the plight of citizens is becoming increasingly dire. A severe gas crisis, exacerbated by a combination of soaring prices and crippling supply cuts, has rendered staying warm a luxury that many can no longer afford. Coupled with how rising electricity prices have made plug-in heaters and stoves prohibitively expensive, home heating is a pressing issue that demands immediate intervention by the government. Unfortunately, given that it is also a problem of the government's making, it is unlikely that any new pro-people intervention will be forthcoming.

Rising heating costs in the winter are nothing new for Pakistan. Where other countries go to great lengths to subsidise heating costs for their citizens, policymakers here only see another excuse to raise costs in ways that harm consumers, yet fail to address any of the circular debt that is blamed for causing high operating losses. With the price of LPG also rising, families are being forced into a corner. Those who once relied on a warm stove for their daily meals are now finding themselves in the difficult position of having to choose between food and heat, as the alternatives become prohibitively expensive.

Although citizens' suffering in sub-zero temperatures in the north of the country usually takes significance, Karachi, despite having less harsh winters, is not much better off because gas is also nowhere to be found in the country's commercial capital. While many pundits and politicians celebrate the return of economic growth and stability, for too many Pakistanis, even turning on the stove is a major financial decision.

It is still not clear how the Ogra-recommended price increase will be spread out among big and small residential consumers and industries - the regulator has recommended an increase of 8.71% for SNGPL against its 10.67% demand and a 25.78% hike for SSGC against its 208.67% demand. But what is clear is that without increasing supply, people will continue to empty their pockets for the 'privilege' of freezing overnight.