HYDERABAD: Federal Minister for Planning and Development Asad Umar has said that the entire country will face a shortage of gas in winter and Sindh will be the worst-hit. “That is why a decision has to be taken in larger interest of the country”.

Speaking to the media and addressing the business community at the Jamshoro Chamber of Commerce in Kotri on Sunday, he said he had been talking to the Sindh chief minister in this regard for about one year. “If we try that we should get everything, then this mindset will harm everyone,” he said while discussing the gas issue. He cited the Article 158 of the Constitution, which says the province where gas is produce will have first right to use, and argued that this article did not explain a procedure for gas tariff fixation. Provinces should use gas for domestic purposes but its price could not be the same.

He said Nepra determined a tariff for each power distribution company considering losses, electricity theft and recovery. Federal government then would equalise the tariff. If this was not done, then Sindh would have higher electricity tariff. So, there were things which benefited this or that province, he said.

Referring to his several meetings with Sindh CM Syed Murad Ali Shah on the gas issue, Mr Umar said: “Unless federal government opts for one gas price, things will not work”.

He said gas fields produced varying quantum of gas with different price and then an average price was determined. He said LNG would be dealt with accordingly as a source of gas.

The minister said that exports had now started improving. “Exports are going to increase by 25 per cent in the first four months this year,” he said. He agreed with a businessman that exports should be further incentivised. The prime minister had tried to avoid passing on the impact of price hike to the masses as best as possible, he said.

Mr Umar noted that due to the coronavirus pandemic, price hike was seen across the world. PM’s package of Rs120bn would be given effect soon to ensure availability of edibles at low rates which would benefit half of the country’s population.

He recalled that during his visit to Sukkur, the prime minister had announced a Sindh Package. He said the PM would meet industrialists and other businessmen during his visit to Hyderabad.

The Sindh Package, covered the energy sector projects, which would be completed to benefit people, including industrialists, he said, adding that Rs2.7bn was now earmarked for the rehabilitation of transmission lines and Rs3bn for distribution system. Out of new grid stations in Sindh, one would be set up in Kotri, he said.

The minister said that the federal government would help Kotri’s business community with regard to its Combined Effluent Treatment Plant (CEFT).

Published in Dawn, November 8th, 2021