‘Govt not to put additional burden on gas consumers’

By Asim Hussain

ISLAMABAD: Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Information and Broadcasting Dr. Firdous Ashiq Awan ruling out any increase in gas tariff has said that the government will not put additional burden on gas consumers
After a high level meeting on energy sector held under the chair of Prime Minister Imran Khan here on Friday, Firdous Ashiq Awan said the PM has a clear stance that no additional burden would be shifted to the gas consumers, rather steps would be taken to facilitate them under recently announced economic relief package.
She said that the PM has directed the Energy Minister not to put the burden of gas prices on consumers and defer any such increase in the tariff.
The meeting decided that reforms would be introduced in gas sector and various steps would be taken to resolve problems of the gas consumers, the SAPM added. Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan said the meeting decided to introduce institutional reforms in the gas sector. The Energy Committee was directed to present reform agenda in ECC meeting. She said the PM issued directives for ensuring uninterrupted supply of gas to the consumers.
The SAPM said it was decided that the gas supply to industrial and commercial sector would be provided from other sources including LNG and LPG.
She said the gas companies were asked to set up consumer facilitation centres as early as possible. Dr Firdous said that heads of gas companies were directed to cut costs and take concrete measures to eliminate gas theft and reduce line losses.