The gas tariffs are NOT just Numbers. The Situation is not ‘business as usual’. Out of box solutions are needed today. In this era of Covid-19, lock down, melt down, the gas prices have colossal bearing upon: (a) National security (b) in-country peace (c) Job security (d) Exports safeguard (e) Foreign Exchange Earnings (f) Strengthening of Pak Rs to US$ (f) Livelihood sustainability (g) Sustainability of SSGCL (h) over economy. We need to find out what rest of the world, competition and neighbors are doing, which SSGCL had no homework done. Wellhead Gas price, LNG, ROA, Capex, Opex, management systems are not sustainable. This Tariff exercise and OGRA hearing are not about Arithmetic but Law, Logic and Livelihood. SSGCL is a single service provider therefore, it needs to serve the public at large.
Pakistan needs to capitalize on its best trait to grab the post Covid Opportunities and that is Textiles. Only Textile can make Pakistan the Forrest Gump and bring massive employment and FEX in the near future and years to come to match the targets of the Prime Minister. Already in the international export arena the countries (especially competitors of Pakistan) are going out of way to grab lost markets and exploring new markets. Export oriented Countries are subsidizing, reducing utility (Power & Gas) expenditure to position themselves into the international markets, especially US, Europe. Pakistani textile like other countries got a heavy jolt during that last 6 months with cancellation of large orders. Now is the time for Pakistan to take back the market share and that can only be done on fast track basis by the Textile industry.
