PM unveils revised LPG allocation plan
“Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday said that the government was making all-out efforts to ensure availability of energy supplies, including liquefied natural gas (LNG), liquefied petroleum gas…”
Chairing a federal cabinet meeting, the prime minister said the government was holding meetings every two to three days to review energy requirements and prepare contingency and coordination plans to ensure adequate supplies during the winter.
He said the government would make every possible effort to keep power plants operational and contain the impact of rising energy prices on the common people. The prime minister also announced that the decades-old monopoly in the LPG sector had come to an end, with the government introducing a competitive and transparent mechanism for its allocation.
Under the new system, locally produced LPG would be offered through competitive auctions under proper supervision, while companies importing the commodity would also be required to follow prescribed procedures. The revenue generated through the transparent auction process would contribute to the national exchequer and subsequently be utilised for providing subsidies and relief to ordinary citizens.
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Referring to rising international crude oil prices, the prime minister said the Petroleum Minister Ali Pervaiz Malik, his team, OGRA and the relevant committee had taken a timely decision to approach refineries for sharing their windfall profits to avoid passing on a proposed Rs15 per litre increase in petrol prices to consumers.
He appreciated the decision and said the government's subsidy programme, which had benefited around 15 million people, would continue at least until the end of December. He said approximately Rs28 billion had so far been spent under the programme, benefiting an estimated 75 million people when their families were included.
He said overall the programme was continuing in a transparent way, but intelligence agencies had identified irregularities at few petrol pumps and directed the petroleum minister to ensure their closure and impose heavy financial penalties on those involved.
He referred to recent diplomatic engagements, including two visits by Pakistani delegations to Tehran, the visit of the Field Marshal, the Saudi defence minister's visit to Pakistan and Turkish official Ibrahim Kalin's visit, saying constructive discussions had been held to reduce regional tensions and advance cooperation under the proposed trilateral arrangement.
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