15 May 2004	Saturday	24 Rabi-ul-Awwal 1425

KARACHI, May 14: The Karachi Electric Supply Corporation on Friday announced a relief package for payment of KESC dues against private sector consumers to facilitate payment of their arrears by June 30.

The package was announced at a joint press conference addressed by the City Nazim Naimatullah Khan and KESC MD Brig Tariq Saddozai.

Giving details of the relief package, Naimatullah Khan said it had been designed both for inactive consumers not using electricity and for active consumers.

He said under the package which has been approved by the KESC board of directors, an inactive consumer will get 30 per cent off if he clears entire dues of more than five years in lump sum (gross inclusive LPS) by June 30.

For this, consumers with dues of more than three to five years will get 25 per cent off, for more than one to three years 20 per cent off, for more than six months to one year 15 per cent off.

For active consumers, on payment up to June 30, the KESC will allow 25 per cent off on clearance of dues of more than one year.

He hoped that with so much concession as approved by the KESC board of directors, they would now be able to get benefit from the same and clear the dues entirely.

The KESC MD told newsmen that some Rs 20 billion are outstanding against the government, industrial, commercial and domestic consumers.

He said the government is to pay dues amounting to Rs 2 billion, while Rs 4 billion are outstanding against industries and the rest of the amount is due against commercial and domestic consumers.

Tariq Saddozai said there are some 0.6 million defaulters and in order to recover the dues, KESC had announced various packages for providing relief to them in the past as well.

He said this had greatly helped in improved recovery position which surged from 80 per cent to 95 per cent and the corporation is hopeful to close the financial year by reaching 98 per cent mark.

Brig. Saddozai observed that if 30 percent of 0.6 million defaulters clear their dues, KESC hopes to get back Rs one billion and Rs 2 billion if 50 per cent of them pay off the dues.

On the occasion, Nazim Karachi said this facility is for general public, but the city district government would also like KESC to have a separate package for CDGK, specially for the water board which is a utility and not a commercial organization.

Naimatullah Khan said Water Board spends Rs 1.25 billion on pumping of water from Dhabeji pumping station alone and it was unable to pay more than 50 per cent of charges which, as a result keep on accumulating.

He stated that the KESC was also taking up this issue with its board of directors and if it is approved, its electricity charges against the KWSB would be reduced by 35 to 40 per cent.

He said in that case he would also take up the issue of adjustment of charges already paid on commercial basis effective from August 2001 when the City Government came into being.

To a question, the KESC MD said that the corporation's infrastructure grew old because of non-investment of money as the government was of the view that since it is being privatised, it should be for the new investors to invest money for its revamping.-APP