LAHORE, July 21: The National Electric Power Regulatory Authority should increase tariff keeping in view the hike in oil prices, says Lahore Electric Supply Company (LESCO) chief executive Akram Arain. Speaking at a Meet-the-Press programme of the Lahore Press Club on Thursday, he said it was a must to keep the health of the sector.

About improvement in distribution system, he said the company planned to spend Rs5 billion on structural development in the next four years. During last fiscal years, the company spent Rs252 million on system improvement.

About severe tripping problem in the LESCO area, he said the company was helpless and could not do anything unless government banned kite flying. He urged the government to take strict action against those flying kites with metallic wire.

The LESCO chief dismissed complaints about fluctuations and tripping during night, saying they were individual complaints and should not be termed a system failure.

He claimed that establishment of customer service centres in different areas of the company operation had provided significant relief to customers. “Now they can have the due date extended, get a duplicate bill besides having three instalments of bills up to Rs5,000 approved.”

About revenue collection, he said recovery rate was over 100 per cent. The company has also introduced online billing.

The company planned to replace all old meters and, at present, it was in talks with different local meter manufacturers.

About detection bills, he said the company had evolved a comprehensive policy on the issue. Under the new policy no detection bill could be imposed on any consumer unless the case was thoroughly checked by a committee comprising senior officials.

Mr Arain denied the allegation that the company was imposing detection bills on the consumers while replacing their old meters with the new ones.

About other achievements of the company, he said more than 666 villages had been electrified during 2004-05. The company also gave 147,158 new connections, including 2,423 tubewell connections.