Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has deferred a proposal – approved by the regulatory authority – to enhance gas prices, The Express Tribune has learned.
The PM was presiding over a meeting of Cabinet Committee on Energy (CCE) on Friday. According to Adviser to PM Dr Musaddik Malik some officials at the CCE suggested to enhance gas prices as per recommendation of Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (Ogra) but the PM shot down the proposal. However, he said, the PM might review the prices sometime in future.
Sources said the premier also directed Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas to submit a comprehensive presentation on the availability of gas to different segments of consumers, including domestic, commercial and industrial.
The PM decided that he would preside over the CCE meeting after every 15 days and reiterated that before the end of government’s tenure in 2018, he would overcome load-shedding issue.
“Government is committed to eliminating load-shedding which will be achieved during the tenure of this government,” he said, adding that the government is going to tap Thar Coal resources for efficient and cheap energy production in the next 2-3 years.
PM Nawaz was jointly briefed by Ministries of Water and Power and Petroleum that said there would be an addition of 28% in the power supply, which will reduce the demand and supply gap before the summer of 2015.
The PM said it will be ensured that line losses and power theft are checked. The committee was briefed about various long term projects which would be completed by 2016-17 including coal, LNG, solar and wind based generation projects.
The prime minister approved the policy to provide locally produced gas to the power sector to make it more affordable and efficient. Similarly, he approved that any surplus LNG gas will be provided to the CNG sector.
Government’s strategy on energy Briefing the media about government’s strategy to overcome energy crisis, Dr Musaddik Malik said government would be able to add 2400MW to the grid before summer 2015.
He said during audit of various wells for natural gas in the country, Ministry of Petroleum has succeeded to discover dozens wells which will start producing gas in seven months. “This gas will be used for producing electricity and hopefully 1000MW will be added to the national grid before summer 2015 through on-site raw gas plants,” he said.
He said 425MW from Nandipur Power project and 500MW from Guddu Power Plant will be added before summer 2015. Malik said that after inclusion of 2400MW around four hours load shedding will be reduced before the next summer.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 22nd, 2014.
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