The Pakistan Industrial and Traders Association Front (PIAF) has expressed its concern over the suggestion of Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) to the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) to raise gas tariff from July 01, 2017. PIAF Chairman Irfan Iqbal Sheikh in a statement on Monday said that no decision should be taken without consulting the industry.
He said the gas prices in Pakistan are already high in the region while the SNGPL has sought from the OGRA to increase gas prices by Rs 96.38 per MMBTU. He said the exports, due to rising input cost, are already sliding and that was why the government has set exports targets of US 23.1 billion dollars for the financial year 2017-18.
He said the increase in gas price will not only leave negative impact on the industry but also increase the prices of consumer items. He maintained that production cost in Pakistan is high against the regional countries like India, Thailand, China and Bangladesh. He said gas is indigenous commodity therefore there is no justification to increase its price.