ISLAMABAD: Despite ongoing gas shortages in the country, the government has prepared a plan to provide more than 116,000 new gas connections in the next financial year.
According to the Private tv channel report, the target includes 115,530 new domestic gas connections, 550 commercial connections, and 350 industrial connections.
TV reports say that 85,740 new gas connections will be given in Sindh and Balochistan, while 30,530 connections are planned for Punjab, Islamabad, and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Compared to the revised target of the current financial year, the number of new gas connections for the next year has increased to 96,209.
Sui Northern Gas Pipeline Limited (SNGPL) will handle 30,530 of these new connections, while Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC) will provide 85,740 new connections. The plan sets a major target of 115,530 new domestic connections for the upcoming year.
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It is important to note that the original target for the current financial year (2024–25) was 68,990 new gas connections. However, the revised target has been reduced to just 20,061 due to ongoing supply challenges.
Govt Plans 10% Surcharge on Electricity Bills to Control Circular Debt
In another development, media reports claim that the government is planning to impose a 10% surcharge on electricity bills to tackle the rising circular debt.
According to reports, the government will make changes to the NEPRA law to allow the imposition of this surcharge. Once the law is amended, the federal government will be able to apply the surcharge under the Debt Servicing Surcharge (DSS) system.
Energy experts say this move could be politically risky, but it is seen as a necessary step to revive the energy sector and continue with reforms supported by the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb, during his budget speech yesterday, said that any DSS surcharge will only be used to repay the principal amount of circular debt through refinancing.
