Ministry asked to ensure uninterrupted fuel supplies

ISLAMABAD: The government directed the minister for petroleum and natural resources to ensure uninterrupted fuel supplies to Wapda, Hubco and Kapco to avoid power crisis in the country, a minister said on Wednesday.

Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, minister for petroleum and natural resources said ministry of water and power could not make timely payments to the Pakistan State Oil against supplies, which resulted in an inconsiderable accumulation of receivables against these entities.

Abbasi told the National Assembly that the petroleum ministry has been regularly following up the matter with the ministries of finance and water and power for the settlement of circular debt.

He said total receivables from 2013-17 amounted to Rs 272.3 billion. Minister said the government is providing gas connections to domestic consumers on merit basis. Currently, Pakistan is not importing liquefied natural gas (LNG) from Iran due to international sanctions.

He said consumers have to face shortage of gas due to its supply to factories and industries. He informed the lower house that presently around five million consumers are using LNG in the country.

On a question, the minister said Sui Northern Gas Pipelines laid long service line measuring one inch dia x 2,000 meters and 16 combing cases measuring one-inch dia x 3,908 meters and two-inch dia x 3,380 in Mardan during the fiscal year of 2015/16.

Abbasi said the processing of long service line and combing cases has been carried out solely on the basis of maturity of applications as per turn/merit of each case according to the company’s policy.