Islamabad: Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan has ordered an urgent crackdown against gas theft, according to news sources. He did this in an attempt to mitigate the rising gas losses being reported in the Islamabad and Lahore districts.
Before making this decision, the premier reviewed performance reports of state-owned utilities Sui Northern Gas Company Limited (SNGPL) and the Sui Southern Gas Company Limited (SSGC). Officials informed him that influential persons were involved in gas theft in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP).
The PM stated that gas connections should be discontinued for all those involved in gas theft, including politicians. He called for an indiscriminate crackdown – with no exceptions. He directed the authorities concerned to cut the amount of Unaccounted for Gas (UFG) losses in the next two years by half.
SNGPL’s losses currently stand at 11%, while SSGC losses amount to 16%. This is not at par with the requirements set by the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA). These losses are transferred to consumers, leading to inflated gas bills. The PM directed the Petroleum Division to hold meetings with all relevant authorities to resolve this problem.
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