Gas loadshedding panel fails to find solution

The committee on gas load shedding on Friday failed to find out solution of gas load shedding as different stakeholders resisted cut in gas supply to adjust demand and supply gap, Business Recorder has learnt. All Pakistan CNG associations also called off strike after assurance to work out a mechanism for distributing gas among stakeholders. The Minister for Privatisation and Water and Power, Naveed Qamar, chaired the meeting.
Sources said that a subcommittee, headed by Managing Director of Sui Northern Gas Pipeline (SNGPL) was formed to work out strategy to adjust the gap between gas supply and demand. The subcommittee will meet on Monday to propose solution of gas load shedding. Main body on gas load shedding with federal Minister for Water and Power and Privatisation will meet again on Wednesday to find out final solution to distribute available gas among all stakeholders.
Sources said that during the meeting textile and fertiliser manufacturers locked horns over cut in gas supply. Fertiliser manufacturers demanded to cut the gas supply to textile to adjust gas shortfall whereas textile industry representatives asked to cut supply to fertiliser manufacturers. Sources said that domestic and commercial consumers would not face cut in gas supply.
Power, textile and fertiliser sectors would have to absorb gas shortfall," sources said, adding that the meeting was informed that SNGPL system was facing 400 mmcfd gas shortfall. Total demand of gas stands at 2316 mmcfd. The representatives of power sector urged to provide gas, adding that power tariff could go up if gas was not provided to it.
Ghyas Parach, chairman of supreme council of All Pakistan CNG Association, said: "We have requested the government to chalk out clear gas distribution formula and gas shortfall should be equally distributed among all stakeholders." He said that CNG sector requirement is 230 mmcfd in Punjab on SNGPL system. He added that the subcommittee would meet on Monday in Lahore to find out actual gas supply and demand so that mechanism could be worked out to resolve the issue of gas load shedding.
Meanwhile, according to a statement issued by All Pakistan CNG Owners Association, the ministry of petroleum officials will hold meeting with All Pakistan CNG Owners Association on April 22 to resolve the problem confronting the CNG industry particularly gas load shedding to the industry.
The ministry will compile the exact situation of gas availability and its growing demand across the country. These views were expressed during a meeting held on Friday at ministry of petroleum by Secretary Imtiaz Kazi, DG Gas Mohammad Azam and Chairman and President, All Pakistan CNG Owners Association Khuda Baksh and other representatives.
Later, addressing journalists, Khuda Baksh said that for the last two days there were a series of meetings with ministry officials to resolve gas load shedding problem without suffering gas-transport-consumers. He told journalists that the owners association could not take part in the CNG strike call given by another group. The strike would create panic among the people and further increase their miseries in the shape of paying more for using petrol as fuel in their light transport. Closer of CNG stations would result great financial loss to the owners because their fixed cost including electricity, staff salaries and other have to pay.
Before the starts of recent winter season, he said, it was decided that there would be 2 days'' gas load shedding for CNG sector while in remaining five days the gas would be provided with full pressure. However, he regretted that despite such promises by the government, full pressure gas was not provided in 5 working days that greatly hurt the CNG stations owners. He told journalists that secretary petroleum informed them that gas supply was disturbed as gas pipeline in Balochistan were blown up and several new discoveries of gas could not be included in the system due to poor law and order situation in different parts of the country. The secretary petroleum also assured that some repair works would also be completed in one week and the ministry would be in a position to present clear position of gas to CNG Owner Association.
He also claimed that there was enough gas supply in the country but due to mismanagement on the part of the government, such crises were created. He stressed for that the government should improve management system particularly on part of SNGPL to provide proper supply of gas to all sector of the economy.
He also rejected that CNG stations have nowadays become a lucrative business. However, in initial period there was great profit. He also claimed that his association, which has 33 percent CNG stations, remained functional and could not take part in strike call given by other association. "We believe in negotiations to resolve the matter not by giving strike call, which puts people in more trouble". He suggested that the gas companies should improve their performance and reduce gas leakages. He also suggested to the government to ban provision of gas facility to more villages on political basis as it further put pressure on the existing consumers. He expressed hope that gas situation would be cleared by next week and it would be provided to CNG stations in whole week and it would reduce people difficulties in CNG for whole week. Khuda Baksh appreciated the efforts being made by the government to this end and expressed his understanding of the situation. He also assured his full co-operation to the government in amicable resolution of the hardship being faced by the low and middle class consumers of CNG.