ISLAMABAD: The Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (Ogra) has scheduled to hold a public hearing on the Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited’s petition for 137 percent gas price raise for the fiscal year 2023-24 on December 11 without Member (Gas) – the post stays vacant since November 2022.

Even in the last review for a raise in cost/prescribed price of gas, the position of Member (Gas) Ogra was vacant.

The Ogra Ordinance, 2002, states that the federal government will establish a regulatory authority, which shall be known as the Ogra.

The authority shall consist of a chairman and three additional members, out of whom, one shall be designated as member gas, one member as member oil, and one member as member finance, and the authority shall be independent in performing its functions.

The chairman and members Ogra all are in MP-1 scale. In October 2023, MP-I salaries were increased by around 45 percent.

Previous government extended the contract of Member (Oil) Zain ul Abideen Qureshi for further four years whose contract had expired in September 2023. The chairman OGRA gave him the additional charge of member (gas).

In Ogra Ordinance 2002, it has been said that the Member Gas shall be a person who holds an appropriate degree in the relevant field and is an experienced, eminent professional of known integrity and competence with a minimum of 20 years of related experience in the field of natural gas, including the transmission and distribution thereof.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2023