Innovative strategies devised to address power sector issues in sustainable manner

January 01, 2019: The incumbent government has chalked out an innovative strategies to cope with circular debt crisis and host of issues pertaining to power sector in a sustainable manner.

Anti-Power Theft campaign, reducing the gap between NEPRA and government tariff, crackdown on irregularities and corrupt practices, relief for the poor, support for agriculture and industrial sectors, advance metering infrastructure, removing constraints for efficient transmission, improvement of distribution system and solarization of agriculture tube-wells in Balochistan were some initiatives to address the longstanding power sector issues, sources told.

They said a Task Force on Energy Reforms had been constituted to address the power sector issues. 

Under the anti-power theft campaign with the main slogan of zero tolerance for over billing and corruption, some 267,571,528 units had been charged in all power distribution companies (DISCOs), they said.

In drastic anti-theft campaigns some 9,102 First Information Reports (FIRs) had been registered against power pilferers during one-month period from October 13 to November 13, 2018.

“The power distribution companies identified overall 15,514 irregularities in domestic, 1,119 in commercial, 221 in agriculture and 207 in industrial sectors, out of which 194 are major cases,” they said.

During the period under review, the companies requested to lodge 12,899 FIRs against power thieves, but managed to get registered around 9,102 FIRs. They also recovered over Rs120 million against more than Rs610 million detection bill charges.

As per the break-up, Lahore Electric Supply Company (LESCO) detected 5,800 cases and recovered Rs7,890,900, Gujranwala Electric Power Company (GEPCO) identified 1106 cases and recovered Rs9,117,302, Faisalabad Electric Supply Company (FESCO) found 924 irregularities and recovered Rs8,790,203, Islamabad Electric Supply Company (IESCO) pointed out 1067 and recovered Rs2,801,415, Multan Electric Power Company (MEPCO) reported 5,314 cases and recovered Rs43,064,38, Peshawar Electric Supply Company (PESCO) unearthed 1,265 thefts and recovered 

Rs38,991,297, Tribal Electric Supply Company (TESCO) dealt with two cases and recovered Rs87,007, Hyderabad Electric Supply Company (HESCO) noticed 628 cases and recovered Rs8,095,654, Sukkur Electric Power Company (SEPCO) spotted 769 thefts and recovered Rs2,142,679 and Quetta Electric Supply Company (QESCO) identified 186 cases and recovered Rs1,889,983.

The sources said that a commercial loan of Rs35.8 billion was acquired to reduce the circular debt burden further while the government is in process of obtaining Islamic financing of around Rs100 to 200 billion against the assets of DISCOs and GENCOs through Islamic banking.

Regarding relief to the poor, agri and industrial sectors, the government did not increase tariff for consumers using up to 300 units besides approving subsidy for farmers of Balochistan on agricultural tube well. 

Similarly, for five main export-oriented industries, the power tariff has been capped at the rate of 7.5/unit US cent.

Moreover, for bringing improvement in National Transmission and Dispatch Company (NTDC) system, Chakdara 220KV grid and transmission line has been made operational, extension work at Mardan 220KV Grid and D I Khan KV line has also been completed.

 (APP)