Senate panel wants regional power rates studied
ISLAMABAD: The Senate Standing Committee on Power on Tuesday asked the government to conduct a comparative analysis of electricity tariffs in neighbouring and regional countries since huge power bills have made electricity unaffordable for an average person in Pakistan.
The committee chairman, Senator Mohsin Aziz, emphasised the importance of resolving issues with independent power producers (IPPs), which have become a significant burden on the nation.
Mr Aziz reminded the government that the issue of IPPs is long overdue, and the the current situation has left the people struggling with unaffordable electricity rates and industries considering ceasing operations.
Surging electricity bills go beyond public’s affordability
Additionally, electricity theft has also become a significant problem for the country, the committee chairman warned.
While the minister for power assured the committee that he would submit the requisite inquiries transparently, the secretary of the power division briefed the committee on power sector reforms, electricity supply and demand, generation capacity and complexities of capacity planning.
The committee chairman sought an explanation from the power division about the areas where electricity theft is prevalent.
On this, the power minister said that electricity theft varies by area and it is influenced by the level of governance. The secretary of the power division explained that electricity theft has, in some communities, become a sub-culture, exacerbating the problem.
Participating in the discussion, Senator Shibli Faraz said that the power ministry needs to plan seasonal variations and avoid repeating the same records, as the current state of electricity is neither cheap nor reliable in the country.
Chief Executive Officer of Multan Electric Power Company (Mepco) briefed the meeting on feeder-wise scheduled and unscheduled loadshedding and specifically mentioned that Mepco covers 48 per cent of all Punjab.
The CEO of Quetta Electric Supply Company (Qesco) presented a similar briefing.
When the committee inquired about power theft in southern Punjab, the power minister said that more feeders are located in areas such as Rajanpur, Dera Ghazi Khan and riverine areas, including Kasur, where losses are the highest.
Published in Dawn, August 7th, 2024
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