Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: Power Division while setting 100 % recovery targets for current electricity billing and assigning tasks of recovery of old receivables for Financial Year 2018-19 to six Distribution Companies has set targets to bring extra Rs.83.2 billion for betterment of liquidity of power sector.

The decision was taken in a meeting chaired by Federal Minister for Power Division, Omer Ayub Khan. Federal Secretary Power Division Mr. Irfan Ali, officials of PEPCO, CEOs of DISCOs concerned and other officials of Power Division attended the meeting.

It was decided to freeze the figures of old receivables as on 31.10.2018 with targets to achieve 100% recovery of current billings besides reducing the line losses as per the goals set by NEPRA.

Minister for Power Division further directed the CEOs to eliminate theft and illegal hooking of electricity and take strict action against those involved in it with the help Provincial Task Force established in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Secretary Power Division also directed to ensure that defaulters do not use electricity through hooking and operation must be intensified without any fear or favour.

The meeting assigned specific targets to DISCOS as per the following details.

LESCO will ensure extra recoveries of Rs. 25 billion in addition to current billing upto June 2019 by measures of recovery of old outstanding bills and reducing line losses upto 1%. FESCO will undertake extra Rs.2 billion recoveries in addition to current billing upto June 2019 and it will also reduce its line losses by 1%. GEPCO will ensure extra recovery of Rs.t3 billion and reduce line losses upto 1%. IESCO will also ensure extra Rs.2billion recoveries by recovery of old receivables and bringing the line losses at NEPRA targets of 8.65. MEPCO to ensure extra recovery of Rs.10.2 billion by reducing the line losses to NEPRA target of 15% and recovery of old receivables. PESCO targets for extra recovery above current billing were set to Rs.41billion by reducing the line losses to 4% and recovery of old receivables.

PESCO will also ensure removal of hooks (Kunda) within a time frame of 2 months and concerned SDO, XEN and SE shall be held responsible for this. CEO PESCO will launch awareness campaign to educate the consumers that their wrong bills will be corrected and meters will be installed instantly after payment of dues which will also lead to reduction of load management hours in their areas.

Minister for Power Division also directed that no overbilling or unfair mean will be adopted for achieving these targets and in this regard the Joint Secretary Power Finance, Power Division and PEPCO will form a comprehensive monitoring mechanism. All the CEOs shall personally supervise the drive against theft and shall meet the district administration in this regard.

Published in Daily Times, November 17^th 2018.