Business community will never allow holding masses responsible for losses of gas companies:ICST

Lahore: Patron Islamabad Chamber of Small Traders Dr. Shahid Rasheed Butt on Tuesday said business community will never allow holding masses responsible for losses of gas companies.

Increasing limit of unaccounted for gas (UFG) on the behest of gas utilities and Ogra amounts to patronising the gas thieves, he said.

The veteran business leader said that increase in the UFG cap has never helped except for encouraging gas officials to boost their illegitimate income, he said.

Shahid Rasheed Butt said that around 17 percent network of SNGPL consists of high pressure pipelines while 83 percent is made of low pressure pipelines which gives an excellent excuse of leakages in the gas distribution chain.

He said that Ogra seems to be catering for the interests of elite ditching masses. In past the regulator increased UFG ceiling by two percent for just sixteen days giving benefit of tens of billions to the influential shareholders of gas companies.

Now, the cabal is trying over 100 percent hike in UFG limit which cannot be accepted.

Why government is spending billions on departments formed to check corruption if it is to provide legal protection to theft, questioned Butt.

UFG is the difference between the amount of gas purchased and the quantity of gas sold, there are 17 or more conditions that may contribute to UFG which can be determined and corrected by positive approach.