Govt to review LPG policy 2016

ISLAMABAD: The government has decided to review the LPG policy 2016 and asked the stakeholders to provide their recommendations within next 48 hours, as the state-run Pakistan State Oil (PSO) and Sui Southern Gas Company Ltd (SSGCL) have conveyed to their inability to import the gas for being a lengthy process.

They would unable to timely import LPG at short notice, as following the PPRA prescribed rules for procurement and taking Board approval would take long time, the companies’ officials said. The government also asked Ogra to provide the audit report of the gas producers and marketing companies within three months.

This was decided in a meeting of the LPG stakeholders with Secretary Petroleum Mian Asad Hayaud Din here Wednesday. It is pertinent to mention here that the LPG prices were doubled in the country during past one month. Recently LPG mafia increased LPG price for 4th time which has reached to record increase in consumer prices and prices have reached to 210 per kg in Gilgit-Baltistan & other northern areas, Rs190 in AJK, Nathiagali etc, Rs170 per kg in Jhelum, Multan, Rajanpur and Swat etc.

The prices during the same period last year were around Rs80 to Rs100 per

kg. The LPG policy 2016 has clearly stated that “The federal government will from time to time in consultation with Ogra and relevant stakeholders, determine the quantity of LPG to be imported to meet any gap between demand and supply, this quantity will be imported by public sector companies.”

However so far the government has failed to execute the LPG policy and is importing LPG through private companies which have increased the prices by almost 100

percent during past one month.

During the meeting chairman LPG association asked the government to take strict action against those companies responsible for the price hike in LPG. Action is required against those local companies which are selling LPG expensive than the imported one and their licences should be cancelled, he added.

The LPG association also demanded of the government to establish LPG laboratory on Taftan border which will help to stop the import of substandard LPG. He said that the government step can bring down the prices of LPG by Rs20 per kg. The meeting was called to review the LPG rising prices and attended by officials of PSO, PPL, PARCO, OGDCL, SSGCL and LPG association.