Fuel talks: Gas connections only on merit and by the rules, says Abbasi

No meter installed in violation, domestic sector given priority

ISLAMABAD: Minister for Petroleum and Natural Resources Shahid Khaqan Abbasi on Wednesday informed the National Assembly that the ministry had not installed a single gas meter in violation of merit and rules.   

“Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) only provides legal connections as per turn and merit criteria of the company,” he said.

He said it was the hallmark of the present government that it was religiously following the policy of merit under which new gas connections for domestic consumers were being given without any discrimination.

“As per the policy, it takes around six months to process an application for a domestic connection. For an urgent connection the fee is Rs25,000 and the meter is installed after a three-month period,” he explained.

Replying to another question, Abbasi said, “New gas connections and gas projects for localities are two different things.”

He said new gas projects could not be initiated under the Federal Cabinet moratorium imposed in 2011 due to shortage of the commodity in the country. If any parliamentarian wanted a project approved for any scheme, it would require the lifting of the moratorium or payment of the required amount.

To another question, the minister said that people belonging to an area from where natural gas was discovered were given priority for domestic use and fertiliser production. “People living within five kilometres in radius are given priority, but they are required to pay the installation fee and utility bills.”

He said the government accorded top priority to domestic sector and thereby uninterrupted supply was being ensured to it. However, at times low gas pressure could occur due to some local/technical problems which were timely resolved through round-the-clock customers services and field teams of gas utility companies.

He also informed the House about the gas theft scale in some areas of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, and said theft worth Rs6 billion was occurring in one of the districts falling in the category of ‘troubled areas.’ “The ministry in collaboration with the provincial government and local jirgas is making efforts to streamline matters and make recoveries,” he added.

Abbasi was of the view that petrol price in the country was among the lowest in the region.

He further added that petrol stocks were sufficient for seven days and the monthly product review meetings were conducted to closely monitor the demand and supply position in the country. “The ministry has directed oil marketing companies to build-up stocks/storage of petrol for 20 days as per policy of the government and licensing terms and conditions of Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority.

Abbasi also said that the price of Liquefied Natural Gas would be determined after the signing of agreement among stakeholders. “The government has no plans to shut down CNG stations,” he added. 

Published in The Express Tribune, August 13^th,  2015.

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