KARACHI: The Sindh government has asked the federal government to reconsider the excessive increase in the gas meter rent as it has become burdensome for the domestic consumers to pay their gas bills.

In a letter to Minister of State for Petroleum Musadik Malik, Sindh Energy Minister Imtiaz Ahmed Shaikh expressed grave concern over decisions of the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (Ogra) and Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC) for issuing exorbitant gas bills on account of slow meters and meter rent charges to the domestic consumers in the province without prior notice to the provincial government or information to public at large.

While the minister’s letter did not mention the exact increase, recently the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan issued a statement condemning a move to increase the meter rent of domestic consumers of the SSGC from Rs40 to Rs500 and demanded that the government take it back.

In his letter, the minister stated that the SSGC’s action would aggravate the living conditions of a large section of society by putting more economic pressure to their already hand-to-mouth existence.

“Keeping in view the given situation when it has become difficult for the common man to earn his bread and butter, at this point in time any action of increase in the utility bills of gas under the different heads will further add to the worries of the common man,” he wrote.

He said the provincial government had already brought in the notice of the federal government through a letter on Nov 25, 2022, for representation in the board of federal regulatory bodies.

The energy minister said that earlier in a letter on Oct 4, 2022, the provincial government highlighted the arbitrary role of the SSGC and lack of representation of Sindh.

“It’s sad to say that due to sheer negligence to the provincial issues that all previous correspondence could not yield any response from the federal government,” he wrote.

Minister Shaikh in his letter also pointed out that Sindh was the largest producer of gas in the country, accounting for the share of almost 63 per cent of total gas production. He said Article 158 of the Constitution protected the Sindh’s inalienable right of preference for use of gas over other province.

“In view of the above situation, it is requested that the concerned federal entities including, the Ogra and the SSGC, may be directed to reconsider their decisions regarding the increased meter rent charges by inviting representation from the concerned provincial government and other relevant stakeholders,” he said.

The minister said the provincial government was of the view that in future, price mechanism needed to be fair enough based on rational grounds with input from all stakeholders in order to dispel the fear of undue high price to ease public sufferings.

Published in Dawn, May 6th, 2023