APTMA talks: Gas supply to be 'restored' to Punjab captive power plants

LAHORE: Gas supply to captive power plants in Punjab will be restored after a delegation of All Pakistan Textile Mills Association (APTMA) conveyed its reservations to Adviser on Commerce Razak Dawood, ARY NEWS reported.

The ministry for energy has directed the Managing Director of the Sui Northern Gas Company (SNGC) to meet APTMA delegation on Saturday (tomorrow).

The sources having knowledge of the talks said that the gas supply to captive power plants will be restored by Saturday evening and the SNGC will revise its gas management schedule to adjust to new changes.

“The APTMA members in response will withdraw their stay orders from the court and will ensure implementation on the load management schedule,” they said.

APTMA has also written a letter to the prime minister over the disruption of gas supply to the textile sector. In a statement, the representative body of the textile sector has apprehended that thousands will get jobless with the closure of the industry.

The textile body has pleaded to Prime Minister Imran Khan to take immediate notice of the issue.

Minister of Energy Hammad Azhar has said a day back that textile industries are receiving an uninterrupted supply of gas.

In a tweet, the energy minister said that the gas supply has only been decreased to the captive power plants. “All Pakistan Textile Mills Association (APTMA) has got stay order from court over hike in its tariff after an increase in LNG price, the minister said.

In export sectors, captive power plants or zero-rated sectors have power connections and the government has offered them nine cents flat rate. Hammad Azhar said that the SNGPL was supplying gas to 1890 units out of total of 2300 process industries.