Minister for Petroleum and Natural Resources Shahid Khaqan Abbasi on Saturday announced that CNG stations of Punjab will open seven days a week for six hours except Sundays when gas will be available for the whole day. "CNG stations of Punjab will remain open from 10am to 4pm from Monday to Saturday while on Sundays gas will be available from 6am to 12pm," Shahid said.
While talking to media along with Managing Director Sui Northern Gas Pipe Lines (SNGPL) and Chairman Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (Ogra) Saeed Ahmad Khan after the reception hosted by All Pakistan CNG Association, Shahid Khaqan Abbasi said the arrangement was on trial basis and might be made permanent after fully assuring that it would not affect other sectors. He also said Pakistan was facing gas shortage and whatever was available if diverted to the power sector would ensure that there would be no electricity loadshedding in the country. He said the government was working hard to overcome the gas crisis. "We are trying to procure the LNG at the lowest possible price, adding the first terminal of the LNG would be installed by November 2014," he said.
He claimed that in next five years gas supply would be more than its demand, and also said that after the induction of LNG, people would face less gas shortage in the coming winter. While responding to a question, the Minister said UFG losses of both SNGPL and SSGC were 10 percent due to which the companies were suffering loss of Rs 30 billion accumulatively.
He said prices of petroleum products would come down from April 1, adding the reason behind the reduction of petroleum prices was depreciation of dollar as compared to rupee as well as the reduction of prices of petroleum products in the open market. He said the government was trying to bring down the prices of LPG by 35 percent.
Responding to a question, he said Pak-Iran gas pipeline project could not be started due to various factors which included procurement of long lead items and certain geopolitical international restrictions and implications. Speaking on the occasion, Ghiyas Paracha said the government had not only won hearts and minds of masses and the CNG operators but ensured a balance between gas consuming sectors which was a Herculean task.