Islamabad: Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan has ordered a countrywide operation against gas theft, a news source reported. He said that fuel worth PKR 50 billion was being stolen annually, even while the government was providing a PKR 100 billion subsidy to 91 percent of total consumers.
During a high-level meeting on the gas sector, the PM received a briefing on the breadth of issues it faced. He was informed that PKR 50 billion-worth of stolen gas was being recorded under the category of unaccounted-for gas (UFG); with the burden being passed on to consumers.
Khan emphasised on the need to show ‘no leniency’ in the case of UFG. He added that the performance of the heads of the gas companies concerned would be evaluated on the basis of their efficacy in checking all instances of UFG.
The premier was also briefed about the demand & supply profile of gas in the summer and winter seasons.
The meeting was informed about the policy in-place to fulfil gas requirements for the 2019-2020 period. It was decided that a daily gas supply of 200 million cubic feet would be added to the system. This move will help in meeting the requirements for electricity and gas in other sectors during the coming months.
