ISLAMABAD: Against the backdrop of protests over excessive billing for gas across the country, the federal government on Monday constituted a committee to look into the issue of inflated gas bills.
The committee will consist of four senior officers of Ministry of Power and will be led by Sher Afghan Khan, according to a notification issued by the government. Other members of the committee are Shahid Yousaf, Imran Ahmed and Sui Northern Gas Pipeline Limited’s (SNGPL) manager.
The committee will review the reasons behind increase in the gas bills and will also suggest recommendations to improve the gas billing system.
Earlier, Federal Minister for Petroleum Ghulam Sarwar Khan defended the recent hike in gas tariff, saying both the Sui Southern Gas Company Limited (SSGC) and Sui Northern Gas Pipeline Limited (SNGPL) have a liability of Rs142 billion.
“Had the government not jacked up gas rates, there would have been Rs154 billion additional debt,” he said while speaking at a luncheon of tribal elders from NA-59 constituency.
Slamming the previous Pakistan Muslim League – Nawaz (PML-N) government, the minister said it gave Rs55 billion schemes just to win the 2018 general elections.
He lamented that the gas companies lost Rs50 billion revenue to gas theft in a year and added the government was bearing Rs1,280 billion circular debt.
