Govt restructures gas priority for industrial growth

ISLAMABAD: The caretaker government has decided to change the gas priority order by placing the process industry at the top along with domestic consumers. It has also changed the priority order of the fertiliser sector by placing it in the second category along with the power sector. Earlier, the fertiliser industry was placed in the third category. The export-oriented industry was placed in the second category in the old policy. However, the caretaker government has removed it from the second category and placed it in the fertiliser sector. In the first category, the government had added domestic and commercial consumers, including tandoor and industry processing only. The power and fertiliser sectors have been placed in the second category, industry (captive power) in the third, cement in the fourth, and CNG in the fifth category. Sources said that the issue was taken up before the prime minister. The Petroleum division had submitted a plan regarding the proposed revision in the gas priority order that was okayed. The issue was already taken up before the economic coordination committee (ECC) to change the gas priority order.