Consumers paid more due to gas theft : PM Imran Khan

Lahore : Prime Minister Imran Khan on Wednesday directed the Ministry of Petroleum to launch a crackdown against illegal gas connections immediately and also take stern action against the employees of gas companies who were complicit in gas theft.

Chairing a meeting regarding stoppage of gas losses, the
prime minister expressed concern over the gas pilferage and any possible mishap as a result of stealing gas from the main lines.

He said the burden of losses in the gas system together
with administrative negligence had been transferred to the consumers,which resulted in rise in gas prices.

The prime minister while rejecting putting the burden of flaws in the system on the consumers, directed the authorities concerned to make every possible effort to control the losses.

The prime minister was told that there was approximately 11 percent unaccounted- for gas in the Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Ltd’s (SNGPL) system and 16 percent in the Sui Southern Gas Company’s (SSGC) system, and its total value was around Rs 45 billion. Gas
theft, leakages and other flaws were the reasons of those losses.

The prime minister was informed that Rs 19 billion was
lost under the head of theft and Rs 11.25 billion in leakages while Rs 14.50 billion losses incurred due to annual loss and other reasons.

The Secretary Petroleum briefed the meeting about the
steps taken to control unaccounted-for gas.

The meeting was attended by Finance Minister Asad Umar, Minister for Petroleum Ghulam Sarwar Khan, Information Minister Chaudhry Fawad Hussain, secretaries finance and petroleum, managing
directors of SNGPL and SSGC, and other officials.