The government has lifted the four-year ban on new domestic gas connections, announcing that consumers will now be provided with Re-Gasified Liquefied Natural Gas (RLNG) connections in place of local gas across the country.
Briefing the media on cabinet decisions, Federal Minister for Petroleum Ali Pervaiz Malik, flanked by Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhry, on Wednesday said that the decision had been taken by the federal cabinet under the instructions of Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif to ease public hardships.
Malik noted that the ban, imposed in 2021, had forced residents of new housing societies and apartments to rely on Liquified Petroleum Gas (LPG) cylinders and other fuels.
“There’s the pain of getting your cylinders filled from the market, and then there’s the issue of sub-standard cylinders that often lead to untoward incidents,” he said.
Malik further said that the two Sui companies had already completed the prerequisites and would start entertaining pending applications once the official notification was issued.
“RLNG is definitely expensive compared to local gas; however, it is 30–35 per cent cheaper than LPG,” Malik asserted, adding that applicants already on the waiting list would be asked to convert to RLNG by paying the required fee and installing a new connection.
Commenting on the monthly billing cycle for RLNG, the minister explained that it would continue in line with the monthly system already in place.
Additionally, Malik said efforts were being made to attract international companies, including those from Turkiye, China and the United States (US), for both onshore and offshore exploration.
“By gradually boosting local production, we aim to reduce reliance on RLNG and provide cheaper, indigenous fuel to the people,” he said.
Meanwhile, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Tariq Chaudhry said the decision would resolve the longstanding difficulties faced by people due to the unavailability of gas connections.