Zia endorses KCCI's demand for representation in SSGC's BoD

Chairman of Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC), Lieutenant-General Javed Zia (retd.), has admitted that gas pressure is low nowadays and supply remains suspended every Sunday but SSGC's top priority is to improve gas pressure during the ongoing winter season and efforts are being made to address said issue.
Speaking at a meeting during his visit to Karachi Chamber of Commerce & Industry (KCCI), SSGC chairman assured his all out support and cooperation to business and industrial community in resolving related issues. He vowed to improve the performance of SSGC, whose strengths and weaknesses have a direct impact on the economy of Pakistan. He said that KCCI's demand for representation in SSGC's Board of Director is valid and he would fully support it because it will help bridge the gap between the business and industrial community and the utility service provider.
"Very important points have been raised by KCCI president which are very close to my heart. I will not hesitate in fully advocating KCCI's demand as soon as I receive relevant letter for comments about this chamber's representation in SSGC's Board from the CM House," he assured.
On some of the issues raised by KCCI president in his welcome address, Javed Zia suggested another joint meeting at the earliest either at SSGC's head office or at KCCI so that those issues could be thrashed out with relevant officers of SSGC and resolved, accordingly. He further proposed that other business and trade associations should also become part of the suggested meeting so that strategies could be devised collectively and they all move forward together. Referring to KCCI president's comments pertaining to first right of every province on its natural resources under Article 158 of the Constitution, SSGC chairman reaffirmed he would fight for the right of Sindh province.
"If Sindh is the largest producer of gas, it must get its due share. However, I will try to raise voice on this issue, logically and come up with a model based on technical support from my team in order to create a win-win situation," he asserted.
On costly RLNG, he said, under the present circumstances, the industry is stuck between no gas/low pressure gas and the expensive RLNG. "If RLNG can kick-start sick industries or those industries which are not moving forward, the business community should go for RLNG which will resolve many problems," he exhorted saying that RLNG has to be taken into consideration by the industrial units because of its consistent availability and qualitative advantages. He said more than 550 applications have been received so far by SSGC from the province of Sindh and Balochistan for new RLNG connections. Responding to concerns over misuse of power by SSGC Inspection Teams, Javed Zia assured that the relevant department was restructured in such a manner that it simply couldn't be misused.
"We have carried out due deliberation in placing the right people in this particular department whereas a very respectable Brigadier, who carries a strong reputation of integrity, has recently been inducted in this department to improve its efficiency", he said.
He sought KCCI's cooperation in making the operation against gas theft successful which began recently under an Act introduced in 2016, which also allows SSGC to create separate police stations. To exclusively deal with cases of gas theft, police stations have been established in Karachi, Sukkur, Thatta and Quetta. He said anyone involved in gas theft would be taken to task.
He said a survey revealed that compressors were being used by several industrial units to improve pressure, which only enhances gas pressure of that particular industry whereas the rest of industries in the same neighborhood suffer badly as these compressors terribly reduce gas pressure to their units. "Use of compressors will not be tolerated and all such individuals will be taken to task," he alerted and asked KCCI to support SSGC in its drive against gas thieves.
He informed that Consumer Response Department was also being improved through internal changes and reconstitution of some departments within the organization.
KCCI president, Muffasar Atta Malik pointed out that despite producing 69 percent of the total natural gas, Sindh hardly receives around 28 to 30 percent of gas. The abundant gas should initially be made available to industries in Sindh and the surplus gas should be subsequently extended to other provinces, he demanded.
Malik said that the government, instead of providing cheaper gas to Sindh from its own resources, announced to supply quite expensive imported Regasified Liquefied Natural Gas (RLNG) which is a sheer injustice and completely unacceptable to the business and industrial community of Karachi. "Why are we being provided RLNG when we have surplus gas resources," he asked, urging that RLNG should be supplied to those areas and provinces of the country where very limited or zero gas reserves were available. Expressing concerns over suspension of gas supply to industrial units on Sundays, he said that it created a lot of problems, particularly for those industrialists who had to meet their deadlines for the export shipments. He said although assurances had been given from time to time, yet no relief had been provided so far as the industries continued to suffer gas load shedding every Sunday which required immediate attention
"Low gas pressure is also another serious issue being faced by many industrial units and also by domestic consumers, particularly during winter season, which has to be addressed by SSGC," he urged.
To further streamline and stabilize gas distribution, KCCI president advised that gas supplies to CNG stations and the industry have to be segregated which would certainly improve the situation. He also expressed concerns over deteriorating performance of SSGC's Response/ Maintenance Teams nowadays as compared to what it had been in the past.
"SSGC chairman must strictly deal with this issue to improve the efficiency of SSGC's Response/ Maintenance Team, which will be widely appreciated by the business and industrial community of Karachi," he asked. Expressing concerns over refusal to give new gas connections, he said, hundreds of applications were lying pending for new gas connections. He said now they were being offered an opportunity to go for RLNG connection but who would go for an expensive gas in the ongoing competitive era in which Pakistani producers and exporters had already been facing tough time from its competitors.
KCCI president suggested that instead of applying UFG cost across the board, it would be more prudent to pass on this cost according to the thefts taking place in different areas of country. "UFG losses should be evaluated area-wise and recovery should be applied exactly according to volume of theft in each area," he proposed.