Gov`t to raise city gas supply ratio to 78 pct by 2013

SEOUL, Nov. 9 (Yonhap) -- The government and the ruling Grand National Party (GNP) on Sunday agreed to push to raise the nation's distribution ratio of urban fuel gas to 78 percent, or 16.35 million households, by 2013, officials said.

The long-term natural gas service plan calls for providing the fuel gas service
to an additional 4.35 million households, mostly those in rural and low-income
urban districts, over the next five years, said the officials.
At present, the so-called "city gas" service is available to 64 percent, or 12
million, of South Korean households. The gas service expansion project is
expected to cost the government 170 billion won (US$130 million) in 2009 alone,
they noted.
In the longer term, the government and the GNP aim to increase the city gas
distribution ratio to 90 percent by 2015.
"The city gas has been well supplied to the comparatively wealthy urban
neighborhoods, while people in rural and underdeveloped areas have depended on
LPG, kerosene and other more expensive fuels," said GNP lawmaker Choi Kyong-hwan.
"The expansion of the city gas service will help ease regional and income
disparity."
ycm@yna.co.kr
(END)