Business
December 22, 2020
ISLAMABAD: The Petroleum Division on Monday assured there were currently no plans for gas load shedding anywhere in the country for domestic, commercial or industrial sectors, but admitted to bottlenecks caused by severe cold wave.
Power Division spokesperson said that there were isolated complaints of pressure drops, especially in tail-ends of the lines, which were being attended to by the gas utilities. âBoth gas utilities are striving to maintain the gas supply to 10 million consumers across the country. However, the illegal use of gas compressors has led to low gas pressure problems in some areas, which is being curbed by the companies,â the official added.
The commission’s 163-page report also estimated over Rs250 billion worth of oil smuggling from Iran and noted that a wide range of operations in the oil sector were against law and rules, operating in vacuum and without any check and balance. ─ Reuters/File
ISLAMABAD: Hurling scathing allegations at the entire oil supply chain, from policymakers to regulators and market players down to retail outlets, the 15-member Inquiry Commission on the June petroleum crisis has recommended departmental proceedings against top hierarchy of the petroleum division, dissolution of the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (Ogra) and a halt to the operations of refinery and oil marketing company Byco.
National
December 15, 2020
ISLAMABAD: The five-member Inquiry Commission headed by Abubakar Khudabaksh, Additional DG FIA, to probe into the shortage of petroleum products that hit the country in June, 2020 has recommended strict action against secretary Petroleum Division, DG Oil, Ogra and private oil marketing companies (OMCs).
The commission’s report also asked for dissolution of Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (Ogra) for six months through act of Parliament, arguing it is not aligned with the ground realities. The Government of Pakistan constituted it on July 28, 2020 to probe into the shortage of petroleum products.
The 155-page report submitted to the federal cabinet that meets today (Tuesday) , mentions the catalogue of failures of Ogra since 2002 that includes dishing out licenses to OMCs without ensuring actual enhancement of storage facilities, failure to ensure minimum stock requirements, imposition of ritual fines on OMCs for drying out their retail outlets during