960424

Gas transmission

losses rise to

Rs 1 billion

SIKANDER HAYAT

ISLAMABAD: Gas transmission losses have risen to Rs 1 billion this year, prompting Petroleum and Natural Resources Minister Anwar Saifullah to order immediate remedial measures, sources said.

They said the minister has asked the committee already working on it for the last two years to come up with "urgent, workable" strategy within six weeks to combat the situation. The minister has asked the concerned officials to react to these national loss "on war footing" and promised reward to the deserving.

On average the revenue from gas amounts to about Rs 11 billion, the second highest revenue income from the natural resources after the earnings of the Wapda. The current losses are 9 percent of the total, against less that half percent at the time natural gas was plugged to the national energy grid.

Sources said the government has told the employees in the gas production sector that their demand for enhanced salaries will be given due consideration only after they will have successfully combated the gas losses. In a way the raise in pays has made contingent to the containment of gas losses, they added.