Gas supply for Sindh industry goes up by 33% from 2002-2012

Islamabad

The supply of natural gas to the industries in Sindh has increased by more than 33 percent from 2002 to 2012 whereas the overall gas consumption in the province has gone up by 54.93 percent in the same period, official data reveals.

Analysis of the official data obtained from Sindh Bureau of Statistics reveals that the overall natural gas consumers of Sui Southern Gas Company Limited (SSGCL) including domestic, commercial and industrial sector increased by 34 percent from 2002 to 2012. Similarly, the increase in gas consumers was also noted in the industrial sector as the number of industries using gas reached from 2,235 to 4073 i.e. 45 percent increase.

On the other hand, the industries in Punjab suffered FROM shortage of gas supply. The share of natural gas supply to Punjab industries has been slashed by one fourth during the same period bringing the rich to the rags, whereas the supply to domestic consumers continuously increase during the same period. 

From 2002 to 2008, the gas supply to the industrial sector in Punjab increased gradually; however, after that the supply of natural gas started reducing and till 2012-13 it has been reduced by 25 percent. 

The reduction in gas supply may be one of the major reasons of depletion of industries in Punjab whereas the prominent industrialists believe the government showed shortsightedness because of which the industries’ future is getting darker.

The official data says in 2002, the government was supplying 241393 decca cubic meter gas to the domestic consumers whereas the industrial sector was getting 613697 decca cubic meters. The next year, the gas supply to domestic consumers increased by 2.17 percent and the domestic consumers consumed 246742 decca cubic meters gas. Similarly the gas supply to the industries was increased by 7.28 percent and total 908489 decca cubic meter gas was consumed. 

The data of gas consumption in Sindh says that from 2002-03, the consumption of natural gas by the industries was increased by 9 percent whereas the number of consumers also increased by 5.54 percent. The next year, there was a record increase of gas consumption as the industries used 24.99 percent extra gas than the previous year; whereas, the number of industries using gas also increased by 8.79 percent.

The data analysis shows that in 2002 the industries were using 166,967 decca cubic meter gas but ten years later the gas consumption by the industries reached to 252,538 decca cubic meter which is 33.88 percent higher than the year 2002. 

Similarly in 2002, the overall gas consumption by all three major consumers including domestic, commercial and industrial was recorded by 218,352 decca cubic meter but it reached to 338,283 decca cubic meter in 2012 which is 54.93 per cent. The increase was not noted only in consumtion but the overall consumers were also added in the gas supply chain as in 2002 the total number of gas consumers were 1,487,216 but in 2012 it reached to 2,257,905 which is 34.13 per cent higher than the year 2002.

When contacted, Federal Minister for Petroleum and Natural Resources Shahid Khaqan Abbasi said the Sindh province is getting its full share of natural gas and it has to face no cut in gas supply. 

“After the passage of 18th Amendment, Sindh is getting more gas than it was getting before the amendment; however, Punjab had to suffer the gas shortage. Almost one-third domestic users of Punjab have to face cut in their share of gas. We have taken up this issue at the platform of Inter-Provincial Coordination Committee and would hold a debate on the same in Council of Common Interests meeting as this is a matter of the Federation,” he said.

He said the industries in Sindh are getting their due share of gas as well as the CNG sector is also getting the natural gas supply. However, the industry has to face one-day gas loadshedding whereas the CNG sector for two days in order to meet the domestic requirement.

“SSGCL is getting more gas than before whereas it is SNGPL which has to face cut in its share after the 18th Amendment and we want to take up this issue at the CCI level,” Abbasi said.