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    <title>Aaj TV English News - Business &amp; Economy</title>
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    <copyright>Copyright 2026</copyright>
    <pubDate>Mon, 18 May 2026 19:58:00 +0500</pubDate>
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      <title>Govt proposes Rs5 gas levy, LNG cargo sales to cut Rs3,400bn circular debt</title>
      <link>https://english.aaj.tv/news/330459169/govt-proposes-rs5-gas-levy-lng-cargo-sales-to-cut-rs3400bn-circular-debt</link>
      <description>&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;The Pakistan government has presented the International Monetary Fund (IMF) with a management plan to eliminate the gas sector’s circular debt, which has ballooned to approximately Rs3,400 billion, as both sides continue budget-related negotiations.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The plan proposes imposing a Rs5 per unit levy on gas consumers, generating additional revenue through dividends from state-owned companies, and selling 35 LNG cargoes annually on the international market, a move projected to yield around Rs160 billion per year.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Improved recovery performance by Sui Northern and Sui Southern Gas Companies is expected to generate an additional Rs61 billion under the plan.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The IMF delegation sought detailed clarifications on the circular debt issue, describing it as a major pressure point on the broader energy sector.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The fund raised significant questions about the gas circular debt management plan, signalling continued scrutiny before any formal endorsement.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Separately, outstanding payables of Rs150 billion owed to OGDCL, PPL, and other upstream companies remain unresolved and form part of the broader sectoral challenge.&lt;/p&gt;
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      <content:encoded xmlns="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"><![CDATA[<p><strong>The Pakistan government has presented the International Monetary Fund (IMF) with a management plan to eliminate the gas sector’s circular debt, which has ballooned to approximately Rs3,400 billion, as both sides continue budget-related negotiations.</strong></p>
<p>The plan proposes imposing a Rs5 per unit levy on gas consumers, generating additional revenue through dividends from state-owned companies, and selling 35 LNG cargoes annually on the international market, a move projected to yield around Rs160 billion per year.</p>
<p>Improved recovery performance by Sui Northern and Sui Southern Gas Companies is expected to generate an additional Rs61 billion under the plan.</p>
<p>The IMF delegation sought detailed clarifications on the circular debt issue, describing it as a major pressure point on the broader energy sector.</p>
<p>The fund raised significant questions about the gas circular debt management plan, signalling continued scrutiny before any formal endorsement.</p>
<p>Separately, outstanding payables of Rs150 billion owed to OGDCL, PPL, and other upstream companies remain unresolved and form part of the broader sectoral challenge.</p>
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      <category>Business &amp; Economy</category>
      <guid>https://english.aaj.tv/news/330459169</guid>
      <pubDate>Mon, 18 May 2026 18:20:36 +0500</pubDate>
      <author>none@none.com (Web Desk)</author>
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