THE power sector on the whole is not performing well. The worst performance relates to Discos, the power distribution companies responsible for wrong billing and metering, bad debt recoveries, high system losses, power thefts, inefficiency and indeed, rampant corruption.

This has been going on for years but recently this has risen sharply which is contributing to the piling up of the notorious circular debt which is hurting the national economy. The quality of service is erratic and loadshedding is being resorted to in spite of surplus generation.

There have been suggestions in the press and government circles to privatise the Discos in order to have better power supply conditions as well as to eliminate inefficiency and corrupt practices.

Privatisation will do more harm than good. We should learn a lesson from the performance of K-Electric, which is a privatised entity, where the lives of citizens have been made miserable with no sign of any relief to the hapless consumers.

A privatised company is also a monopoly whose main interest is to maximise its profit by not investing in upgradation of power infrastructure when and where required. Experience has shown that the government can exercise little control over a privatised monopoly.

The government would be well-advised to take appropriate measures to improve the working of the Discos rather than privatising them. Besides strong administrative actions, it should inculcate professionalism in the technical bodies to make them service- oriented. Accountability should be carried out across the board and the inefficient and corrupt shown the door. The need is for honest hardworking professionals to set right the power sector .

An Engineer

Lahore

Published in Dawn, October 3rd, 2020