THE recent gas bill issued by the Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC) contains an added segment of ‘additional GSD’, or additional gas supply deposit, which appears to be in addition to the existing security amount I had deposited about more than 32 years ago in May 1992.

Every SSGC consumer must have deposited this security deposit amount which must be worth millions of rupees. The amount of additional GSD comes to Rs1,257 for the year 2022-23, and it has been divided into instalments because of the ‘kindness’ of the company.

The gas consumption charges in my bill are only Rs175, whereas the total amount of bill is Rs1,359, which includes meter rent (Rs40), general sales tax (GST) (Rs111), fixed charges (Rs400), additional GSD (Rs634). Is it not unjustified to enhance the security deposit in the name of GSD, which will never be refunded or claimed by the consumer?

As mentioned on the bill, the current GSD amount pertains to 2022-23 alone, meaning the amount of 2023-24 is yet to come, and it will be a yearly exercise to boost the assets of SSGC every year. Besides, the imposition of ‘fixed charges’ is also something new, and nobody knows who will keep the amount so generated; the government or the SSGC.

Unfortunately, this is simply about minting money by hook or by crook. This is only because the SSGC knows that public representatives are in a world of their own. Will somebody look into SSGC affairs and its exploitative practices?

Khawaja Tajammul Hussain
Karachi

Published in Dawn, August 15th, 2024