International Monetary Fund has asked the government to end subsidy for protected gas consumers, in another step towards tightening the government’s expenditure.

While gas consumers continue to be burdened by increasingly higher prices, the money lender has asked that subisidies for the poorest section of society need to be ended.

IMF has told the government to give relief to poor consumers through the Benazir Income Support Program.

The Fund has also asked the government to stop subsidising the transfer of RLNG to dmostic consumers.

The federal government spent Rs40 billion in subsidising RLNG to consumers in the previous fiscal year. Another Rs29 billion has already been spent in providing the subisdy this year as well.

Meanwhile, the tariff paid by consumers has already gone by 40-65% under IMF conditions.