VARIOUS regions and cities of the country are already facing low-to-no gas pressure but Caretaker Energy Minister Muhammad Ali has announced that in winter, gas will be more expensive and will be available only for 8 hours a day. Accompanied by Caretaker Information Minister Murtaza Solangi, he told a news conference on Thursday that the two companies would be unable to provide gas round-the-clock due to shortage. He made it clear that gas would be available in the morning, afternoon and evening.
It should be a matter of concern that despite crippling shortage for the last many years no worthwhile measures have been taken to improve the supply of gas, especially during the winter, and the government confines itself to only load-management which is no solution to the perennial crisis. It is all the more regrettable that the supply situation would not improve despite hiking the gas tariff for all consumers, which would further complicate the woes of the poor. The gas prices have been increased significantly for all categories of consumers including those falling in the lowest slab of the domestic category, whose monthly bill would go up from the existing Rs 200 to the range of Rs 900 and Rs 1300. The government has done well by not increasing the gas tariff for the power sector and tandoors as a hike would have repercussions for power tariff and the price of the loaf. But industrialists have dubbed the tariff increase unviable, unacceptable and unfeasible for all export-focused and general industries. In a joint statement, various representative bodies of the trading community and industrialists stressed that more than 90% of export-oriented industries and general industrial units would not be able to bear the mammoth increase in tariff which would push down exports and local production to zero. How can we expect our goods to be competitive in the international market in the face of rising gas and electricity tariff? The government should, therefore, come out with a reasonable solution of exorbitant prices as well as the growing shortage of gas.
