ISLAMABAD - Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) government has decided to revoke two LNG import projects initiated by previous regime of PPP to meet the burgeoning energy needs of the country, reliable sources said on Wednesday.
"Following the decision of new federal government to cancel the tenders issued by the PPP-led coalition government for the import of LNG to the country, the ministry of petroleum & natural resources is now set to get the ECC approval to cancel those two tenders," sources said, adding, "the meeting of Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) of the cabinet is scheduled to meet today (Thursday) to take up various items of agenda including issuance of new tenders for imported LNG, Nandipur Power Project etc."
The previous regime (PPP-led coalition) after four years working had designed two LNG import projects to meet growing energy needs of the country. One tender was issued to bring 200mmcfd of LNG while the second one was planned to bring 400mmcfd of imported LNG to the country despite the fact that transparency and PPRA rules were sat aside.
However, on finding violation and irregularities, the PML-N government has now decided to end these projects by cancelling their tenders. Following the decision, the ministry of petroleum & natural resources has decided to contact the highest economic forum (ECC) of the country today (Thursday) to get its approval for issuing new tenders and cancellation of previous tenders issued for the import of LNG, a senior official at petroleum ministry said while talking to this scribe.
The official also told that Sui Southern Gas Company Limited (SSGC) had been instructed to stop financial bids that were scheduled to open on 1st July. He also informed that the ministry had designed to initiate a new 500mmcfd imported LNG project with certain conditions. The government would ensure the standard of transparency and the spirit of merit in this project while new tenders would be issued after getting the ECC nod.