LAHORE Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) faces Rs five billion annual loss due to gas theft, says Managing Director Arif Hameed. We estimate four per cent to five per cent gas theft from the total line losses of 12.4 per cent, SNGPL chief told TheNation on Wednesday. To a question, Mr Arif replied that there was no possibility to decrease the gas holidays for CNG and industrial sectors yet, adding in August 'we will decide about the next strategy. The sources said that the gas crises would further deepen in coming winter and it is likely that the gas holidays for industry and CNG stations would be increased as 5 days and three days in a week respectively. The SNGPLs head, however, avoided to give any schedule of gas holidays after the end in summer season. Demand and supply gap is increasing day by day, he said, adding the demand is increasing with the speed of 100 million cubic feet per year only in the limits of the SNGPL. However, he hoped that the efforts for the import of LNG and LPG and trapping of new sources inside the country would help in bringing some relief for the sector. A gad source field of 250 million cubic feet at Kuhar-Busharaki would add in the system in December, he told this scriber. SNGPL MD said the Gas Theft Bill was at final stages and would greatly assist to control the gas theft. When he was asked that the influential involved in gas theft and were considered the main hindrance in legislation against theft, he said the legislation was not an easy process. Arif Hameed widened that one per cent gas theft meant Rs 1.4 billion loss to national exchequer, hence four to five per cent theft could be counted Rs five billion, he added. On the question about the shortfall during winter, he said 'the SNGPL will face about 400MMCFD shortages in coming season. About 1,800MMCF gas is being delivered by the SNGPL to various consumers including industry, CNG stations and commercial units. During the last winter, the Company faced 500MMCF maximum shortfall and the experts are predicting that the country might face the worst crisis of gas shortages in after August. The SNGPL need about 2,300 MMCFD to meet the domestic, industrial, commercial and CNG sectors parallel requirement in its limits.