In a major policy shift, the federal government has decided to cancel all pending requests for new residential gas connections across the country. The move affects more than 3 million households that had been waiting for connections through Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) and Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC).
Officials confirmed that the government will no longer allow fresh connections from domestic gas reserves, which are already under severe pressure. Instead, any future household connections will only be provided through imported gas.
This new approach comes with several changes. Families applying for a connection will now face higher costs, as imported gas is nearly 70% more expensive than local supply.
To speed up the process, gas companies have also been allowed to grant connections to up to half of the pending applicants each year, provided they pay an urgent connection fee. Under this option, a new connection can be delivered within three months.
Another important change is for households whose gas supply has remained disconnected for over a year. These consumers will no longer be able to get local gas restored; reconnections will only be made using imported gas.
Government representatives said the new policy was designed to ensure fair distribution of energy while addressing the shortage of domestic gas. They added that the decision was necessary to manage limited resources and make the system more sustainable.
For millions of families who had waited years for a local gas connection, however, the cancellation marks the end of a long and uncertain wait.
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