Daily Times

Senate Standing Committee on Petroleum on Monday was told that the ministry and the gas distribution companies were working on a mechanism to fulfil the domestic gas needs in Sindh and in pursuance of the negotiations with the industrial sector the load management would be carried out and problem of acute gas shortage for domestic and industrial needs.

The matter was raised by Senators Imam Din Shouqeen, Sherry Rehman and Sassui Palijo due to suspension of gas supply in various areas of Sindh. The meeting was held under the Chairmanship of Senator Mohsin Aziz here at the Parliament House and was attended among others by Senators Imamudin Shouqeen, Sherry Rehman, Taj Muhammad Afridi, Sassui Palijo and senior officials from the ministry, SNGPL and SSGC.

Regarding the matter of sale of shares by the Premier Oil Company without taking permission from the provinces, the Committee was told that the provision of taking provinces on board doesn’t apply on the agreements held before the 18th amendment and hence is not applicable on this sale of shares. The Committee was also told that regarding shortage of gas supply in Kalat, Mastung and Ziarat, measures are being taken to ensure no shortage is experienced from now on.

The Committee was also given a briefing on line losses of gas companies. The Committee was told by SSGC that volumetric losses for 2015-16 were 46,652 MMCF, for 2016-17 39,547 MMCF and for 2017-18 39,268 MMCF. It was told that the increased line losses in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa are mainly due to lack of proper gas distribution network in Karak for which measures are underway. The Committee was told by SNGPL that in order to cater to the losses in areas of Balochistan, the company has given a proposal for fixed tariff mechanism for Balochistan.

Published in Daily Times, December 25^th 2018.