KARACHI, Jan 3: Site Association of Industry Chairman Amin Bandukda has expressed surprise at the government decision of increasing gas prices by 15.5 per cent as against the 13.04 per cent sought by Sui Southern Gas Company Limited (SSGC).

He said this was for the first time in the history of Pakistan that a utility supplier had been allowed to increase their prices more than what they had actually petitioned for.

In a statement, he said strong and convincing arguments were presented by the Site association and other consumers at a public hearing held by Ogra on December 29, 2005 which apparently had been of no avail. “Businessmen had provided them convincing arguments and suggested ways of meeting the revenue deficit by the gas companies and the report is available with us.”   Mr Bandukda said that the ever-increasing prices of gas had rendered, particularly the products of value-added industries, unviable in the domestic and international export market.

He urged President Pervez Musharraf and Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz to direct the authorities concerned to review the decision and bring the gas prices down.