ISLAMABAD: The federal government has approved a 40 per cent hike in Re-gasified Liquefied Natural Gas (RLNG) for the month of May, ARY News reported on Friday.

The Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) notified revised rates of Re-gasified Liquefied Natural Gas (RLNG) for the month of May.

According to the notification, the per MMBtu price of imported RLNG on the system of Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Company Limited (SNGPL) has been increased up to $6.2152, jacking up its rate to $21.8317.

READ: CLOSURE OF LNG, OIL-POWERED PLANTS REASONS BEHIND LOADSHEDDING: PM SHEHBAZ

Likewise, per MMBtu (Million British Thermal Unit) price of imported RLNG has been hiked up to $6.8772 for the Sui Southern Gas Pipelines Company (SSGC) system and the new rate will be $23.7873 per MMBtu.

In the previous month of April, the RLNG rate for SNGPL was fixed at $15.6165 per MMBtu and $16.9101 per MMBtu for SSGC.

READ: SHC RESTRAINS SINDH TO LEVY INFRASTRUCTURE CESS ON LNG PAKISTAN

The costly RLNG will increase the production cost of the industries while the power tariff will go further up in the country. The increasing production cost will also jack up the commodities rates besides affecting the industrial exports.

Former energy minister Hammad Azhar said in the Twitter message that the present government had purchased four priciest LNG cargoes in one go last month which resulted in the massive hike in the distribution price of RLNG for SNGPL by $6.21 to $21.831 and $6.87 to $23.78 for SSGC.

The imported govt last month purchased 4 priciest LNG cargoes in one go. The result:

Distribution price of RLNG for SNGPL up by $6.21 to $21.831.

For SSGC up by $6.87 to $23.78.

This means 40% higher gas price for industries on LNG tariff & expensive power generation.

— Hammad Azhar (@Hammad_Azhar) May 13, 2022

He added that the massive hike in RLNG rates will result in 40% higher gas prices for industries on LNG tariffs & expensive power generation