KARACHI: Federal Minister for Petroleum, Ali Pervaiz Malik, chaired a high-level meeting reviewing the performance and operational reforms of the Sui Southern Gas Company Limited (SSGCL). During the meeting, the Minister emphasized the urgent need to overhaul the current gas subsidy mechanism and pricing slabs, aiming for a fair and uniform pricing structure for all consumers while safeguarding vulnerable segments through targeted social safety nets. On the operational front, SSGCL’s Managing Director reported a remarkable 57% reduction in Unaccounted-for-Gas (UFG) losses, alongside uninterrupted gas supplies to industrial consumers, K-Electric, and fertilizer plants, with domestic users receiving gas three times a day. Addressing regional challenges, the Minister ordered that gas supply issues in Balochistan be resolved on a priority basis by tackling gas theft, technical bottlenecks, and infrastructure hurdles. Stressing that gas tariffs have remained unchanged for a year—effectively halting the growth of the gas circular debt—he directed the SSGCL board to prioritize revenue recovery and curb gas theft, noting that the government, in collaboration with the World Bank, is actively implementing comprehensive reforms in the gas sector.
