LAHORE: Federal Minister for Petroleum Division Ghulam Sarwar says issuance of inflated gas bills to the consumers is apparently due to change in tariff on various slabs and some “technical problems” in the computer system.

He pledges that the government would forcefully launch a crackdown on gas thieves in a bid to considerably bring down the line losses.

“Issuance of inflated bills is due to change in slabs and occurrence of fault in the computer system. However, we are not only revisiting the recently increased tariff (143pc) on various slabs, besides trying to know the facts behind the problem in the computer system,” he told reporters at a press conference here on Monday.

“Since a detailed inquiry report will be submitted to the prime minister very soon, those over-billed would be refunded through adjustments (credits) in their bills from the next month,” he added.

He claimed 10pc increase would affect 85pc consumers, while the 143pc tariff hike was for only five per cent consumers, adding that there would be no increase for the remaining 10 per cent.

Drive against theft launched

He said since both the Sui Northern Gas Pipeline Limited (SNGPL) and the Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC) were facing 11pc and 13pc lines losses (unaccounted for gas) respectively, the government did’t want to see the companies suffer more losses and reach on the verge of destruction like the PIA or Pakistan Steel Mills.

He said Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan topped in gas theft and other line losses. For this, he said, the companies were working on a plan to establish their own police stations at regional level.

Later, the minister along with the SNGPL Managing Director Amir Tufail formally launched the government’s campaign against the gas theft by unveiling a logo for the drive.

Published in Dawn, February 26th, 2019