Uzma Adil to head Ogra

ISLAMABAD: The Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (Ogra) that had been working without chairman since April 15 will have Uzma Adil as its chairperson on Monday (today).

Uzma, a dynamic lady, is the first ever woman to head the institution. The regulator had been functioning with chairman after Saeed Ahmad Khan completed his tenure on April 15. Uzma Adil earlier served as the CFO (chief financial officer) of SNGPL and the acting managing director of Sui Northern Gas Limited (SNGPL) for some time. 

She has been selected as the chairperson Ogra through a transparent process. The Establishment Division notified her appointment. Uzma is known in top circles of Nawaz government as a ‘powerful man’ because of her prudent and bold decisions.

Regulating the mighty oil marketing companies (OMCs) which are not implementing the new oil rules 2016 approved by Council of Common Interests (CCI) will be an uphill task for her, says a top official of Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Resources.

“Let’s see how she tackles the issue of implementation of new oil rules,” he said.  According to official sources, the government is already upset over the failure of Ogra in getting new oil rules implemented. 

The OMCs have already got a stay from the Islamabad High Court on implementation of new oil rules. The delay (by Ogra) in getting the stay vacated has irked the government.

To this effect, the Cabinet Division in its June 10, 2016 letter asked the regulator to vigorously pursue the case and get the stay vacated on priority, reveals a government letter available with The News. 

The court gave the stay order on May 24, but the regulator stayed cool and did not come up with a vibrant response to the stay extended by the court and wasted almost one month in hiring lawyer.

Member Gas Amir Nasim told The News that the regulator had finalised the lawyer and Naeem Bukhari will plead the case.  “Though we are late, the selection of lawyer is very good and we will be able to get the stay vacated,” Amir Nasim hoped.

The government apprehends that some top Ogra officials are involved in safeguarding the OMCs interests who prevailed and wasted one month hiring the lawyer. The litigation department has miserably failed to get the stay vacated. It would be the biggest challenge for Uzma Adil to first get the stay vacated and persuade the OMCs to obey the new rules.

However, it is pertinent to mention that the OCAC (Oil Companies’ Advisory Council) earlier managed to get the stay order arguing that new rules had been notified without consulting them being one of the important stakeholders. They also raised their voice over the new license fee of Rs2 million and the annual fee of 0.005 percent of gross sale.

The Ogra contends that the OMCs had been consulted while making new rules draft prior to sending it to the CCI for approval. However, Ogra officials want the OMCs to come forward and assure that they will cooperate by amending the rules which will be later on put before the CCI for approval. But the OMCs are in no mood to backtrack.

According to Amir Nasim, the Ogra had offered the OMCs and refineries to resolve in the budget committee the issues of license fee of Rs2 million and the annual fee of 0.005 percent of gross sale. However, the OMCs and refineries have refused to budge from the stance seeking the resolution of dispute from the court. All eyes are now on Ms Uzma how she tames the mighty OMCs to follow the new oil rules.

—Originally published in The News