Winter chills and rising bills: Govt may hike gas tariff by up to 200%

The interim government is in the process of preparing a significant gas tariff increase proposal, set to be presented to the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) tomorrow. 

According to ARY News, the Petroleum Division will lay out a plan for a 200 per cent hike in gas tariffs for various consumer categories, with domestic consumers facing a 172 per cent increase in anticipation of the upcoming winter season.

The proposal encompasses a broad spectrum of changes, including a 200 per cent price hike for different consumer categories and a staggering 3,900 per cent surge in monthly fixed charges for protected consumers, soaring from Rs10 to Rs400.

 For non-protected consumers, the plan suggests an increment of Rs100 for those using 0.25 cubic metres per month, Rs300 per mmBtu for those using 0.60 cubic metres, and up to Rs1,900 per mmBtu for consumers utilising 300 cubic metres per month.

Export units may see their rates rise from Rs950 to Rs2,050 per mmBtu, while non-export units might face an increase from Rs1,400 to Rs2,600 per mmBtu. The CNG sector could experience a hike of Rs2,595 per mmBtu.

For other industries, the suggested rates are Rs2,900 per mmBtu for the cement sector and Rs4,400 per mmBtu for the CNG sector. However, the current rates for power generation units and tandoors are expected to remain unchanged.

Sources indicate that the caretaker finance minister has called for an ECC session at 4:00 pm on Monday, proposing the implementation of these gas tariff adjustments starting on October 1. 

Earlier, there were reports from within the finance ministry that the International Monetary Fund (IMF) had urged Pakistan to promptly increase gas tariffs by 100 per cent to address the losses and circular debt in the country’s gas sector.

The IMF, during a virtual meeting with Pakistan’s finance ministry officials, expressed concerns over the failure to raise gas tariffs on July 1, emphasising that this was a violation of their standby agreement. 

The IMF further advised the recovery of a Rs46 billion loss incurred by gas companies from July to September. It should be noted that caretaker Finance Minister Dr Shamshad Akhtar is currently in China.