Door to open for private sector in electric supply business after amendments: Minister

The new law after amendments in the NEPRA Act to open door for potential private power supply companies and create a healthy competitive environment for better service delivery for the electricity consumers.

The Federal Minister for Power Division Sardar Awais Ahmed Khan Leghari told this in a meeting with WAPDA Hydro Electric Worker Union (CBA) on Thursday.

The Minister said that existing public sector electric supply companies must improve its service delivery or they will face tough competition from the private sector companies. He said that in order to provide better service delivery, the public sector electric supply companies (DISCOs) have to work hard in reducing the losses, bring in innovative modern technological solutions, train its manpower to face the challenges and must be consumer oriented.

The Minister while taking note of the high losses feeders said that Government is also considering the option of providing incentives for the staff and officers who succeed in reducing the losses to given targets. He said that PEPCO and the Ministry are already tasked to work the proposals to final shape.

The Federal Minister for Power Division informed the participants of the meeting that he has directed the concerned authorities to allocate sufficient funds for procurement of equipment necessary for ensuring safety of the workers at different levels. He said that it is our priority to provide secure environment to the electricity workers.

Sardar Awais Ahmed Khan Leghari informed the Union representatives that directions have been passed to lift ban on necessary recruitments in the DISCOs.

The Federal Minister said that policy is also under consideration to evaluate the existing position of the public sector Generation facilities in the future electricity generation scenario as to whether these have the capacity to withstand the new parameters or withdraw.

The Federal Minister thanked the Union representatives for their unequivocal support to the initiatives against over billing and wrong billing across the country.

The Union General Secretary Mr. Khursheed Ahmed thanked the Minister for Power Division for his personal interest in the affairs relating to the welfare of the employees. He informed the Minister that the employees are willing to work even better given they are provided with better work related equipment. He expressed gratitude over the directions to lift ban over death cases recruitment for the employee’s heirs. The Union representative also presented various suggestions relating to improvements of working of DISCOs and GENCOs.