The federal government has decided not to increase gas prices during the current year, offering relief to consumers of both state-run gas utilities, officials said on Tuesday.

The decision to keep gas tariffs unchanged for consumers of Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) and Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC) was taken on the directives of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

Minister for Petroleum Ali Pervaiz Malik said the move reflects the positive impact of ongoing reforms in the petroleum sector.

Briefing the National Assembly Standing Committee on Petroleum during a meeting at the Petroleum Division, chaired by Mustafa Mahmood, the minister said the government has managed to halt further growth in the gas sector’s circular debt.

He said the existing circular debt stands at around Rs3 trillion, including liabilities related to LNG.

Ali Pervaiz Malik told the committee that, on the prime minister’s instructions, gas prices would not be increased and would instead be maintained at current levels.

He said reforms have not only helped stabilise prices but have also prevented additional accumulation of circular debt in the gas sector.

Speaking to the media after the meeting, the petroleum minister said a successful agreement had also been reached to divert additional LNG cargoes procured from Qatar to the international market. He added that no domestic gas field in the country is currently shut down.

During the committee meeting, concerns were raised over the implementation of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) funds.

The committee chairman said the existing CSR mechanism was not functioning in line with the spirit of the law.

A sub-committee led by Naveed Qamar has submitted recommendations, noting that current CSR policies have failed to deliver positive outcomes and that funds are not being utilised effectively.

The committee suggested that CSR funds should also be used for public welfare initiatives such as the provision of solar energy systems.

Managing Director Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited also briefed the committee on gas supply issues, to which members expressed satisfaction.