Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC) officials have indicated that gas prices may need to be increased to ensure an uninterrupted supply and eliminate load-shedding, according to Express News.
The suggestion came during a meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on Petroleum, where concerns about low gas pressure and frequent outages were discussed extensively.
Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) Managing Director (MD) informed the committee that the ongoing gas load-shedding issue is largely due to Pakistan’s reliance on imported Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG). He revealed that only 45% of the country’s total gas demand is met through domestic production, with the remaining 55% coming from imports.
The MD also shared that efforts are underway to restore supply in Lahore, and that the complaints raised by Senator Kamil Ali Agha will be personally addressed.
The committee was informed that over 25,000 consumer complaints related to gas issues were received during the month of Ramadan alone. In the past year, 132,376 complaints regarding low gas pressure were logged, with over 131,000 resolved.
The SNGPL MD reassured lawmakers that efforts to improve the complaint response system would continue.
Following the briefing, the Senate committee wrapped up discussions on gas supply-related public complaints, marking the matter as resolved for now.
Petroleum Minister Ali Pervaiz Malik also spoke at the meeting, acknowledging that the petroleum sector had not received adequate attention in the past year, as focus shifted to the power sector. He pointed out that local gas consumption is declining, with imported LNG now being used even for domestic cooking.
The minister also admitted that policy implementation regarding oil refineries is still pending but highlighted that the minerals sector is attracting significant foreign investment.
Meanwhile, the Director General of Minerals briefed the committee on the Reko Diq project, stating that production is expected to begin by 2028. The project is set to run for 37 years and is projected to generate $70 billion in cash flow.
