It gives me great pleasure to announce that natural gas pipeline to Murree has been completed ahead of schedule. Constructing Murree gas line through difficult hilly terrain has been professionally and physically demanding.
Despite the challenging circumstances, we have met our targets by the grace of Allah Almighty. Sui Northern Gas is an ever growing utility in Pakistan, expanding its network and consumer base at an un-precedent pace. In the financial year 2005-06 only, our Company added 6.5% in the gas sales and invested Rs 7.4 billion including fundings by the Governments of Pakistan, Punjab and NWFP towards network expansion.
Our Company is providing domestic connections at the rate of 200,000 per year in addition to 500 industrial connections and 4000 commercial connections every year. Our mission is to outreach industrial and domestic consumers as far as possible. As such, our Company is working as partners with the Government o f Pakistan towards economic growth of the country.
Our values and our strategy have shaped our commitment to protect natural environment, health and safety not only for our employees but also for the community. Our environment goals support the Company's mission to help people in pursuing healthier and active lives. Our professionalism reflects our recognition that SNGPL's experts show in commitment and innovation.
Our Company's primary obligations are to responsibly supply the natural gas to meet our customers' needs while delivering the strong financial results that our stockholders expect of us. We are fully committed to fulfil both. Additionally, we recognise that companies, like SNGPL have a social responsibility.
Murree Gas line is not merely a construction of pipeline to deliver natural gas for any good business reason. SNGPL has come to Murree due to its social and environmental commitments. We have already supplied gas to Swat for same reasons. We are proud of our achievements, but we know we cannot rest on our laurels. Our goal is not to just maintain what we have already done, it's to take it up a notch.
At SNGPL, we feel we offer some of the best-designed and safest pipelines and services, but our concern for quality and safety extends far beyond laying pipelines and delivering gas.