IMF Gas Reforms Trigger Conflict Between Ministries

IMF Gas Reforms

ISLAMABAD: A looming deadline to disconnect gas supplies to industrial power plants by January 31, 2025, has sparked a dispute between the Finance Ministry and the Petroleum Division, exposing cracks in the $7 billion International Monetary Fund (IMF) deal. The Petroleum Division accuses the Finance Ministry of accepting the IMF’s condition without adequately assessing its impact, warning of a potential Rs427 billion loss to the government and industries. The Finance Ministry, however, asserts that the Petroleum Division was fully involved during the negotiations. This clash highlights inadequate planning of gas…

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NEPRA to Hold Public Hearing on Winter Relief Package

Power project

ISLAMABAD: The National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) has scheduled a public hearing on November 26 to consider the federal government’s proposed winter incentive package aimed at boosting electricity demand during the low-consumption months. The subsidy-neutral package, approved by the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) on November 19, is set to be implemented from December 1, 2024, to February 28, 2025. It offers discounted electricity rates for residential, commercial, and industrial consumers on incremental usage, with discounts ranging from 18% to 50% based on consumption slabs. The initiative seeks to counteract…

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Consortium withdraws bid to acquire majority stake in Engro Powergen Qadirpur

ENGRO-1

A consortium comprising textile companies has withdrawn its public announcement of intention (PAI) to acquire a majority stake i.e. 68.89% of Engro Powergen Qadirpur Limited (EPQL), a subsidiary of Engro Energy Limited. The development was shared by Arif Habib Limited (AHL), manager to the offer, in a notice to the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) on Friday. “This is with reference to the PAI made by Liberty Mills Limited, Zain Ashraf Mukaty, Temoor Ashraf Mukaty, Ahmed Ashraf Mukaty, Soorty Enterprises (Pvt) Limited, Affinity Capital Pvt Limited, Najeeb Malik, Nadeem Malik, and Shahzad Malik…

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Global LNG: Asian spot LNG gains amid colder weather, stronger Europe gas prices

gas prices

SINGAPORE: Asian spot liquefied natural gas (LNG) prices rose this week to their highest level of the year so far, tracking gains in European gas and amid colder temperatures in both regions. The average LNG price for January delivery into northeast Asia rose to $14.60 per million British thermal units (mmBtu), industry sources estimated. “This week’s further escalations between Russia and Ukraine have returned a steep risk premium to European gas and by default Asia’s JKM market, despite actual gas supplies being uninterrupted,” said Florence Schmit, energy strategist at Rabobank…

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COP29 Draft Rejected as Negotiators Struggle to Finalize Climate Finance Deal

COP-29-2

BAKU: Negotiators at the COP29 UN climate summit are racing against time to secure a breakthrough trillion-dollar deal to assist poorer nations in combating global warming after both developed and developing nations rejected an initial draft proposal. The summit, originally scheduled to conclude on Friday, is expected to extend into overtime as the Azerbaijani hosts scramble to revise the contentious draft. The primary goal of COP29 is to establish a new funding framework to succeed the $100 billion annual pledge by wealthy nations, focusing on emissions reductions and climate adaptation.…

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