August 28, 2008	Thursday	Sha'aban 25, 1429

LAHORE, Aug 27: Referring to a news item published in Dawn on Wednesday under the headline, “Power shocks daze Karachi: KESC allowed to raise tariff”, a spokesman for the Pakistan Electric Power Company (Pepco) has clarified that the National Transmission and Despatch Company sells electricity to power distribution companies at a rate of nearly Rs5 per unit and not at Rs3.70 per unit as mentioned in the report.

The spokesman clarified that Pepco supplied 602 MW of electricity to the KESC on Tuesday, and not 500 MW as stated in the report.

Though the federal government had directed the Pepco to provide to the KESC 400 MW during the day time and 500 MW during peak consumption hours, the KESC invariably drew more electricity and 700 MW on some days.

The spokesman also said that the KESC owed Rs56.163 billion to the Pepco at July-end for the electricity supplied and the Pepco faced serious financial problems because of non-payment of the amount.