LNG Project: Petroleum minister fails to reply to TIP letter

Petroleum minister had previously raised objections over SNGPL’s decision to decline 4Gas Asia’s bid in LNG project.

Transparency International Pakistan in its letter to Minister for Petroleum and Natural Resources Shahid Khaqan Abbasi has alleged that no response on his behalf has been received by TIP in reply to the objections raised by TIP with regards to his comments over SNGPL’s Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) Retrofit Project.

The objections raised by TIP were sent in a letter to the minister on September 9, 2013, and a reply to that letter is still pending. The petroleum minister had previously raised objections over SNGPL’s decision to decline 4Gas Asia’s bid in the LNG project.

Shahid Khaqan Abbasi had asked the SNGPL chairman to examine the legal implications of rejecting the bid, keeping in mind that any future bids will be compared to the bid by 4Gas Asia and in case of higher bids in the future the chairman and his supporting members will be held responsible.

TIP reminded the minister that since the bidding period for the project had already expired, any bid accepted now will be in violation to the Public Procurement Rules 2004.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 20^th, 2013.