KP Govt to utilize receipts from oil, gas on concerned districts

Government

PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has decided to further improve the production bonus guidelines issued for the better utilization of the receipts in the districts with oil and gas production capacity and to involve the district administrations of the respective districts in the consultation process for the purpose.Work has been started on forming committees for the utilization of using the income from oil and gas reserves discovered in Dera Ismail Khan and North Waziristan in the development process in the respective districts so that the population related to the natural resources of oil and gas could be benefited to maximum extent.In this connection, the Energy and Power Department of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in light of the instructions of the KP Chief Minister organized a one-day consultative seminar was organized in a local hotel regarding the improvement of the guidelines of production bonus funds in the oil and gas producing districts here on Thursday.The special guest at the seminar was Ta shfeen Haider, Special Secretary Energy and Power while Additional Secretary Oil and Gas Akhlaq Ahmed, Deputy Secretaries Asif Ali, Javed Afridi and the representative of companies working for the production of oil and gas, Mari Petroleum, Al Haj Petroleum Companies, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Oil and Gas Company and district administration were also present in the consultation seminar.Speaking on this occasion, Special Secretary Tashfeen Haider said that out of the total national crude oil production 42 percent of the about 30,000 barrels of oil per day, is being produced in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.He said that oil and gas are produced at 16 places in the southern districts of the province, Kohat, Karak, Hangu and Lakki Marwat, which is earning receipts to the tone of billions of rupees for the province in the form of royalties and federal excise duty.Tashfeen further said that KP Energy department is determined to increase the production capacity of oil and gas to usher development and economic stability in the pr ovince.On this occasion, the Additional Secretary Akhlaq Ahmed Khan said that after the discovery of oil and gas in Lakki Marwat, Dera Ismail Khan and North Waziristan, the provincial government has started work on forming committees under consultation to improve production guidelines bonuses.The development funds will be utilized in a transparent manner through the local representation of these districts.Meanwhile, a group discussion was also organized to include the consultation and suggestions of the seminar participants.At the end of the seminar, Special Secretary Tashfeen Haider said that a dashboard of including members of district administration, Energy and Power, Planning and Development and Finance Departments to be made soon.