ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: Prime Minister Imran Khan has regretted that no long term planning was done in the past to cope with the energy crisis.
In his address at a Seminar on Natural Gas Supply in Islamabad on Wednesday, the prime minister said that no effort was also made to exploit the hydro potential of the Country to produce cheap electricity.
The prime minister pointed out that the indigenous gas reserves are depleting and the Country is now importing the gas.
However, he said that there is a big difference in the price of domestic gas and the imported gas, resulting in the increase of circular debt in the gas sector.
اسلام آباد میں پاکستان کی گیس کی ارزاں فراہمی،استحکام اور سیکورٹی کے موضوع پر سیمینار۔۔۔بجلی کی پیداوار کے بارے میں بہت پہلے سوچنا چاہئے تھا۔
وزیراعظم عمران خان کا سیمینار سے خطاب۔@ImranKhanPTI pic.twitter.com/T49s8WW3wm— PTV News (@PTVNewsOfficial) September 9, 2020
Imran Khan pointed out that 27 percent of our households have access to piped gas whilst the remaining rely on the LPG Cylinders which is four times more expensive than the piped gas.
The prime minister underlined the need, and according, also issued directives to prepare a roadmap to steer the Country out of the gas crisis. He said that the subsidy should be such that facilitates the poor lot.
Furthermore, he said that we are grateful to the Independent Power Producers (IPPs) for renegotiating the contracts with the government.
The prime minister said that we will apprise the nation next week about the savings to be accrued from these renewal of contracts that will help reduce the burden on the people.
