KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has asked the new management of K-Electric to upgrade its supply, transmission and distribution system so that smooth power supply could be made to the citizens of Karachi.

“You will have to reduce the tariff and will have to give special incentives to the people living in slum areas and katchi abadis so that every consumer can pay the bill,” he added.

The chief minister stated this while speaking to a delegation of the new KE management led by its vice president Xia Meixing on Thursday.

Highlighting the dire need for improving the entire KE system, including generation, transmission and distribution, the chief minister said he was working for more electricity production through different sources.

“A power project at Nooriabad would start generating 100 megawatts next year and I have requested the federal government to provide gas to the plant so that its capacity could be doubled and the federal government has given assurance to me in this regard,” he said.

KE vice president Xia Meixing said that he had started the process of taking over the KE for which his company had worked out an incentive plan in power tariff and would work together with the government for community development.

He said that his company — Shanghai Power Supply Company — was one of the largest companies in the world.

“Shanghai is industrial hub of China and the company is providing smooth power supply to industrial units, commercial areas and domestic consumers.”

He said that his company would invest $9 billion to improve the entire system of the KE and would also announce packages for poor domestic consumers.

“Our plan is to enhance commercial and industrial activities by providing them uninterrupted power supply,” he said.

It would be the utmost effort of the company to make electricity affordable by everyone in the city, the KE VP said.

Assuring the new KE management of his full support, the chief minister said that reduction in power tariff and making rates affordable would be in the interest of the company because everyone would be able to pay the bill.

“You have to reduce line losses of the company and to trickle down its benefits to consumers,” he said.

Published in Dawn, December 23rd, 2016