Staff Reporter
Islamabad
Petroleum Division took strong note of misleading advertisements appearing in some newspapers regarding the Supreme Court judgment in the Gas Infrastructure Development Cess (GIDC) Act-2015 case.
“These advertisements have wrongfully presented the landmark Supreme Court judgment of 13th August 2020 on the GIDC Act 2015,” Petroleum Division said in a press statement.
Through these advertisements, it said, an impression was being created as if the judgment would negatively affect the national economy and that there was no need to collect the outstanding Cess as the already collected amount was sufficient to complete the gas pipeline projects.
“The advertisements erroneously claim that North South Gas Pipeline project has already been awarded to another country.”
The Petroleum Ministry strongly refuted such stories and was of the view that the apex court judgment was a win-win case for both the government and the industry as “it gives an opportunity of six months to the government to start gas infrastructure development projects by utilising the amount collected under this Act.”
At the same time, the Petroleum Division said, the judgment had not only stopped collecting the Cess further till spending the already collected amount but also waived of the late payment surcharge and “even allowed 24 monthly installments to the industry to pay back the outstanding amount.”
