PESHAWAR, (MILLAT/APP): Chairperson, Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA), Uzma Adil Khan here Thursday announced that the authority would open its offices in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan to provide better services to the people at their doorsteps.
She expressed these views during a consultative workshop organised by OGRA on the issue of unaccounted for gas (UFG) and a draft report to this effect was also made public for workable suggestions and recommendations at a local hotel.
The senior authorities of OGRA, General Manager SNGPL KP, Arbab Saqib Khan, KP Oil and Gas officials, office bearers of CNG Association KP besides traders, businessmen and other stakeholders attended in large number.
A comprehensive UFG’s benchmark study conducted by OGRA through an independent international reputed consultant has been presented before stakeholders and experts of KP and Fata seeking their workable recommendations and suggestions to make it more meaningful and goal oriented.
Speaking on the occasion, Uzma Adil said the main objective of this seminar was to share the findings of the draft report with people and stakeholders of KP, Fata and incorporate their valuable recommendations and proposals in it before its finalisation to make it more meaningful.
She said UFG was one of the most critical elements in the gas sector and it is very important for the stakeholders to understand the term ‘UFG’ and the reasons contributing to it.
Today’s seminar was part of series of consultative workshops at federal and provincial level and such seminars was already held in Lahore and Karachi while the last workshop would be held in Balochistan on March 22.
Once the report was finalised after Balochistan consultative seminar, she said, OGRA would thoroughly examined and evaluate it before submitting it to the government.The people and other stakeholders of KP and Fata can also submit their workable recommendations and suggestions till March 22, she said.
The draft report has been placed on the OGRA webside
The Ogra Chairperson said the report would help determine measures that what should be UFG benchmarks for the gas companies during next five years for effective and better service delivery to people.
The gas experts and regulators urged the gas companies to control its UFG losses so that unnecessary burden may not be passed on to consumers and the financial health of the gas companies could be improved.
The SNGPL authorities clarified that our consumers’ network were 100% on meters and gas supply was smoothly underway to domestic and industrial consumers in KP.
Inspite of shortage of staff and meager financial resources, they said the UFG re-education plan of SNGPL was highly successful and zero tolerance policy has been adopted against gas thieves.
Fazal Muqeem who represented CNG Association raised the problem of low gas pressure in Kohat, Circular roads in Peshawar while Chairman All Commercial Exporters Association, Farman suggested opening of franchise offices of SNGPL at town level, making obligatory on the authority to submit reports about gas leakages, gas theft, overbilling, meters related issues on monthly basis for check and balance.
On this chairperson OGRA clarified that the authority has comprehensive mechanism to take swift action on registered complaints and asked him to submit complaints in writing if any for its speedy addressal.
Earlier, the consultant gave a detailed presentation on the study and responded to the questions raised by the participants.
The OGRA chairperson assured the participants that their suggestions/ contributions would be given due consideration while finalising the final draft of the study.