LAHORE: Minister for Petroleum Dr Asim Hussain has assured of four
days a week uninterrupted gas supply to the textile industry in Punjab
during winter.
He was talking the APTMA members at the APTMA
Punjab office along with group leader Gohar Ejaz. Chairman APTMA Mohsin
Aziz participated in the meeting through video-con from Peshawar. This
may further be enhanced to five days a week with entry of 200MMCFD in
the system sooner than later, he added. .
The Federal Minister
said he has asked the ANV companies (working on exploration of gas) to
increase production up to 200MMCFD for three months to meet gas shortage
for textile industry during winter.
It may be noted that the
textile industry in Punjab had strong apprehensions of 90 days gas
supply cut during winter. However, the minister dispelled the impression
and made clear that the four days a week gas supply would continue
uninterrupted, followed by five days a week gas supply accordingly.
He
said a number of measures including gas infrastructure surcharge, gas
theft act, levy on domestic LPG and end of price distortion have been
taken to streamline gas supply to the consumers, particularly the
textile industry.
The federal minister also stated categorically
that the CNG stations are proving a burden on industrial growth as they
are consuming textile industry gas.
According to him, 500MMCFD
shale gas would be part of the system within two years in result of
further explorations. Dr Asim said he would be in a position to share
good news with the nation about new gas finds in Sindh within next 10
days.
He said the system was producing 29 trillion MMCFD gas at present, having a potential of 79 trillion MMCFD in future.
Earlier,
Chairman APTMA Mohsin Aziz highlighted the role of textile industry in
Pakistan economy in his welcome address. He said Punjab was the house of
60% of the textile industry and any gas curtailment would end up on
joblessness, followed by socio-economic problems.
Rana Arif
Tauseef from Pakistan Textile Exports Association proposed the minister
for gas supply to processing units on quota basis to run generators on
gas. He said the processors would shift boilers to alternate fuel during
winter gas load management plan. Online
