Gas tariff jacked up to 173% for non-protected domestic consumers and 136.4% for commercial users.
Tariff hiked up to 173% for non-protected domestic consumers.
Gas rates for commercial users jacked up by 136.4%.
Monthly fixed charges also increased to Rs400 for protected users.
ISLAMABAD: The caretaker government on Monday dropped a gas bomb on inflation-hit masses by approving a massive increase in gas prices which will come into effect from November 1 (Wednesday).
The government has hiked the local gas tariff up to 173% for non-protected domestic consumers, 136.4% for commercial, 91% for export, and 83% for the non-export industry.
As per the approved summary, the fixed monthly charges for protected consumers were revised upward from Rs10 to Rs400, for non-protected from Rs460 to Rs1000, and for higher slabs up to Rs2000.
The price for non-protected users consuming up to 0.25 cubic meters will be Rs121 per mmbtu, up to 0.5 cubic meters will be Rs150 per mmbtu, for users with 0.60 cubic meters Rs200 per mmbtu, while 0.9 cubic meters Rs250 per mmbtu.
Rates for people using 1 cubic metre of gas per month have been jacked up from the previous Rs400 per mmbtu to Rs1,000 mmbtu.
Those with gas usage of up to 1.5 cubic metres — who were previously paying Rs600 per mmbtu — will now have to pay Rs1,200 per mmbtu.
Meanwhile, small commercial users such as local tandoors will pay Rs697 per mmbtu from November 1.
The power sector will have to pay Rs1,050 to Rs3,890 per mmbtu. The cement industry will pay Rs4,400 per mmbtu.
Rates for the export industry have been set from Rs2,100 to Rs2,400 per mmbtu, whereas non-export industries will pay between Rs2,200 to Rs2,500 mmbtu.
The Power Division, in its press release, maintained that the interim setup had to increase gas prices following Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority’s advice to avoid Rs400 billion being added to the already ballooning circular debt.
The authority highlighted that 57% of the domestic gas connections fall in the protected category where there is no increase in gas price.
“In the name of affordability, some of the most profitable businesses of the country are availing the cheapest natural gas. This has unduly enriched certain sectors while depriving lowest income class including poor farmers and small-scale industries,” the statement mentioned.
The head of the Senate’s Foreign Affairs Standing Committee and the PML-N’s parliamentary leader paid Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif a visit in Islamabad.
Senator Irfan Siddiqui gave the Prime Minister an update on the Parliamentary Party’s Senate performance.
Additionally, Senator Irfan Siddiqui gave the Prime Minister an update on the Senate Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs’ performance.
He complimented the Prime Minister on his outstanding efforts to bring Pakistan’s economy back on track and meet its economic objectives.
The Special Investment Facilitation Council is intended to help Pakistan’s energy sector attract $585.6 million in direct foreign investment in 2024–2025. The amount invested at the same time previous year was $266.3 million.
This is a notable 120% rise, mostly due to investments in gas exploration, oil, and power. Such expansion indicates heightened investor confidence and emphasizes the development potential in important areas.
The State Bank reports that foreign investment in other vital industries has increased by 48% to $771 million.
This advancement is a blatant testament to SIFC’s efficient investment procedure and quick project execution.
The purpose of the Special Investment Facilitation Council is to establish Pakistan as an investment hub by aggressively promoting regional trade and investment in the energy sector and other critical industries.
When compared to the same period last year, the data indicates that discos have decreased their losses in the first quarter of the current fiscal year.
The distribution businesses recorded losses of Rs239 billion in the first three months of the current fiscal year, a substantial decrease from the Rs308 billion losses sustained during the same period the previous year.
Additionally, the distribution businesses’ rate of recovery has improved. It has increased to 91% in the first quarter of this year from 84% in the same period last year, indicating success in revenue collection.
Regarding circular debt, the Power division observed a notable change. Last year, between July and October, the circular debt grew by Rs301 billion. Nonetheless, this year’s first four months saw a relatively modest increase in circular debt, totaling about Rs11 billion.
These enhancements show promising developments in the electricity sector’s financial health in Pakistan, where initiatives are being made to accelerate recovery rates and slow the expansion of circular debt.