Karachi’s gas issue appears to have gotten worse when the Sui Southern Gas Company Limited (SSGC) stopped supplying gas to various industries in the city.According to a statement from the gas company, “it has been decided to suspend gas supply to all general industries from November 15 to February 28, 2023.”
This is in accordance with the Ministry of Energy’s (Petroleum Division) gas load management plan, which gives priority to domestic and commercial customers.The move is intended to accommodate the rising demand from domestic customers in Sindh and Balochistan, according to the statement’s further information.Remember that all CNG stations in Sindh have already been shut down for two and a half months due to a gas shortage.
The city’s industries received letters from the SSGC last week that gas will be switched off for more than three months over the winter. However, the industries rejected the notices, arguing that gas interruptions would lead to significant job losses and the closure of businesses.
The Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) and seven other industrial town groups said in a joint statement that the industries were “in a state of shock” after receiving letters from SSGCL that gas supply would be shut off starting on November 15, 2022, to February 28, 2023.Since the government has not made any special arrangements to purchase RLNG to inject into the system, the gas closures cannot be proven to be beneficial for the economy, especially this year.
