Muhammad Ali, Minister for Energy, Power, and Petroleum, stated that workon the Pakistan-Iran gas pipeline has commenced. He spoke to the mediaafter inaugurating the first Model Customer Service Centre of Sui NorthernGas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) at its Regional Office on Gurumangat Roadlast Friday.
The minister mentioned that there has been a 20 percent decrease in naturalgas compared to the previous year. The government will strive to manage gasload-shedding during the winter, but he added that the government cannotprovide gas at lower rates after purchasing it at higher prices.
Regarding Russian oil, Muhammad Ali mentioned that only one cargo hadarrived on a trial basis, and the challenge was in refining it. ThePakistan Oil Refinery was only able to refine 46,000 tons of oil monthly,while the demand was much higher. The government was exploring theinvolvement of private refineries to meet this demand.
The minister also pointed out that taxpayers contribute only 9 percent toPakistan’s GDP, which is one of the lowest in the world. He emphasized thatpeople would receive relief only if tax collection improves.
Read Top Stories
It’s worth noting that the Pakistan Foreign Office recently stated thecountry’s commitment to completing the Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline project.There were ongoing discussions to address issues related to the projectbetween both countries, as mentioned by the FO spokesperson.
