In a reassuring development for the public grappling with rising inflation,the interim government has chosen to temporarily postpone the planned gastariff increase, originally set to take effect on November 1.
This decision emerged from a cabinet meeting chaired by interim PrimeMinister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar, during which the executive body instructedthe relevant authorities to reevaluate the proposed gas price hike.
Last week, the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) granted approval fora substantial gas tariff hike of up to 193% in response to theInternational Monetary Fund’s (IMF) request to address the growing circulardebt in the energy sector.
Had the cabinet approved it, non-protected domestic consumers would haveseen a gas tariff increase of up to 173%, while the increase would havebeen 136.4% for commercial consumers, 86.4% for export, and 117% for thenon-export industry.
Following the ECC’s decision, the fixed monthly charges for protectedconsumers were raised from Rs10 to Rs400, and for non-protected consumers,it was increased from Rs460 to Rs1,000, with higher slabs seeing charges upto Rs2,000.
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In addition to this development, the cabinet also greenlit the “HajjPolicy 2024” and the establishment of an “anti-human smuggling station” bythe Federal Investigation Agency (FIA). The cabinet also made significantdecisions related to the caretaker government’s plan to deport illegalforeigners residing in the country after the November 1 deadline.
The police, in collaboration with relevant authorities, have been taskedwith apprehending illegal foreigners within the country. Furthermore,convicted aliens, those engaged in minor offenses, and those under trialwill be subject to deportation, while illegal foreigners involved inserious crimes will not be expelled.