*ISLAMABAD – Government has decided to keep the gas price unchanged andapprised that the move of augmenting the price has been postponed for now.*
Fawad Chaudhry was briefing media after the conclusion of EconomicCoordination Committee (ECC) meeting chaired by Finance Minister Asad Umerin Islamabad on Monday (today).
Chaudhry informed that gas price was deliberated during the meeting and thecommittee chose to make no revisions in the gas price currently.
During the Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) government, Sui Southernand Northern gas companies incurred the loss of 156 billion rupees, theinformation minister said while adding “we are trying to develop a newsystem of subsidy in such a manner that increase in gas prices does notaffect the poor lot but the affluent could contribute to reduce deficit ofthis sector.”
The minister said the new system of subsidy on gas price will be finalizedby Prime Minister Imran Khan.
Moreover, the government will facilitate farmers with subsidies on purchaseof urea as it has decided to import 100,000 tons of urea, the federalminister told.
He explained “a bag of urea is available at 1615 rupees, while it isimported at 2575 rupees, and the burden of the remaining 960 rupees will beborne by the government.”
Fawad Chuadhry stressed that farmers are an integral part of PTIgovernment’s economic policy and “we will not burden farmers.”
Moreover, the minister assured to launch a crackdown against the 70 percenthike on the price of a liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) cylinder.