Skyrocketing Gas Prices.

There looks to be no stopping the exponential and uncontrolled rise in gas prices in the country. From a 143 per cent increase in September 2018 to an additional 191 per cent in July this year, the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) has now proposed that the government should increase prices for certain sections of domestic consumers up to 221 per cent from January next year.

This aggressive pricing policy is not friendly to the general population. The current practice of passing on the burden of revenue shortfall on to the final consumer is neither equitable nor sustainable. Consumers are not responsible for how utility corporations are run. State-run commodity providers have a responsibility beyond merely balancing the books or turning over a profit. These frequent adjustments are only heading in the upward direction, and the use of gas in homes for both cooking and warmth in the cold weather means that OGRA will be directly slicing off a big chunk off the average consumer's purchasing power.

Everything from tandoors - that essentially enable the poorest in the country to feed themselves - to domestic consumption will be adversely affected. Irresponsible changes to the pricing structure of necessary commodities will lead to exacerbating the problem of inflation, which has already increased beyond acceptable levels in recent times. Basic amenities...