PM Khan approves dismissal of SSGC, SNGC managing directors

ISLAMABAD: The Cabinet Committee on Energy (CCE) on Tuesday recommended for forthwith dismissal of the Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC) and the Sui Northern Gas Company (SNGC) Managing Directors (MDs) for their incompetence which led to a gas crisis in the country, ARY News reported.

An inquiry report on the gas crisis experienced last month was presented in the meeting chaired by Prime Minister Imran Khan, with Finance Minister Asad Umar, Minister for Petroleum Ghulam Sarwar Khan, Power Minister Umar Ayub Khan, Minister for Planning and Development Khushro Bakhtiar and others in attendance.

The report held the MDs of the SSGC Amjad Lateef and SNGC Ameen Rajput responsible for the crisis.

Sources informed ARY News that a recommendation had been sent to the Ministry of Petroleum and notification for their dismissal would be issued very soon.

The cabinet committee was briefed on demand and supply of gas and electricity in the country. Officials from the ministries of petroleum and energy were also present on this occasion.

The prime minister directed both the national gas supplying companies to meet the gas requirement across the country within a week.

PM Khan also directed the relevant authorities to improve mutual coordination for the supply of gas.

The officials informed the premier that about 13 per cent of the gas was being stolen, causing a loss of nearly Rs 50bn in a year.

The forum was told that 5,000 illegal gas supply connections were disconnected for drawing excessive gas through illegal gas compressors.

The officials also told the prime minister about the reasons behind the electricity load-shedding. The PM was told that Rs 15mn were saved by launching a crackdown on electricity-theft and 16,000 cases were registered in this regard.

Ordering for expediting the crackdown, the prime minister said it was unacceptable that people bore the brunt of electricity-theft.

He also directed the officials to enhance coordination on the gap between the gas demand and supply.

 

https://arynews.tv/en/pm-imran-orders-immediate-measures-to-end-load-shedding/