The government has decided to lift the four-year ban on new domestic gas connections, with new consumers to receive re-gasified liquefied natural gas (RLNG) connections instead of local gas, Petroleum Minister Ali Pervaiz Malik announced on Wednesday.
In a press conference alongside Parliamentary Affairs Minister Tariq Fazal Chaudhry, he said the federal cabinet had endorsed the decision on instructions of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to ease public hardships. He noted that the 2021 ban had forced residents of new housing societies and apartments to rely on alternate fuels such as LPG cylinders. He said this had troubled citizens, as they had to get the cylinders refilled, while also having to deal with the issue of substandard cylinders and leaking pipes.
According to Malik, both SNGPL and SSGC have completed prerequisite requirements and would start catering to pending applications after cabinet’s decision is notified. “RLNG is definitely expensive compared to local gas,” he said. “However, it is still 30-35% cheaper than LPG,” he maintained, adding new applicants would be asked to agree to RLNG connections and pay the required fee for a connection.
The minister said RLNG connections would have the same monthly billing cycle as local gas connections. He also emphasized that the government aims to reduce costs further by ramping up local gas exploration.
Chaudhry, meanwhile, said the decision sought to resolve difficulties facing people due to the bar on new gas connections.