The Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources delivered natural gas to about 1.070 million housing units in fiscal year (FY) 2019/20, achieving  107% of  the original plan, according to a press release.

Tarek El Molla, the Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources, stated that the ministry managed to deliver natural gas to 66 new provinces during that time. With the expansion of natural gas delivery, the ministry has managed to reduce the financial burdens of subsidizing butane cylinders. The minister added that since the project began, the ministry delivered natural gas to 11.

1 million housing units, thus saving about 200 million butane cylinders yearly. 

Additionally, the ministry’s plan aims to deliver natural gas to 3.4 million units between FY 2018/19 and FY 2021/22. Taking into consideration that the ministry delivered natural gas to 2.3 million units from FY 2018/19 to FY 2019/20, the ministry targeted to deliver natural gas to one million units more during the current fiscal year. Accordingly, the ministry would have completed its initial plan in three years only instead of four.

El Molla added that the expansion of prepaid gas meters has been successfully implemented.

About 20,000 prepaid gas meters have been implemented in Al-Asmarat areas (1-2) and Bashayer El Khair (1-2-3). 

El Molla noted that one of the reasons for the success of FY 2019/20 plan was the ministry’s initiative that allowed natural gas customers to pay in installments over six years without an advance or interest.