LAHORE, Feb 13: The Water and Power Development Authority extended on Friday the industrial incentive package up to June 30.

Under the package, all the categories of industries, except seasonal connections governed under tariff-F and seasonal industries like ice and ginning factories, oil mills and rice shellers, having regular connections, will be included.

The industrial units, lying disconnected for six months, can pay 25 per cent of their total arrears as down payment and get their connections restored under the Reconnection Policy of Oct 11, 1999.

Rest of the arrears can be paid in instalments and chief executives of the distribution companies have been given powers to decide about the number and quantum of instalments, the former should not exceed 12.

Fixed charges, recoverable under clause-2 of the policy, will be forgiven in case of the units, which will pay 25 per cent of down payment before June 30 and come under the umbrella before the expiry of the deadline.

The disconnected industrial consumers, applying for reconnection within five years, will be given relief on the cost they had already paid for depreciation and they will be charged only the differential. The depreciation value will be calculated on the basis of 10-year useful life of the equipment.

Such consumers have also been allowed to pay 50 per cent of additional security as down payment before reconnection and the balance in instalments payable up to June 30, 2004, provided their sanctioned load remains unchanged. However, the relief will not be applicable to the industries where electricity is used as indigenous raw material such as Arc Furnace Act. Mark-up will be charged on arrears according to prevalent bank rates.

The industrial consumers not interested in reconnection have been allowed to clear their dues in 12 instalments. Any consumer defaulting on current payment or instalments will be disconnected without any further notice and will be eligible for re-availing the package.

A rebate of 10 per cent will also be given on a minimum of 25 per cent increase in the energy units' consumption of a billing month gained on existing load and not through extension in load compared to the average consumption for three months of the previous year.

The average consumption will be calculated on the basis of the corresponding, preceding and succeeding months of the last year. The rebate will be admissible only on the veritable charges based on increased consumption and is not to be given on fixed charges such as hydel surcharge, electricity duty, income tax and general sales tax.

An incentive of annual 10 per cent will also be available to the consumers, who will make advance payment, in addition to normal consumption bill issued manually or through computer of their electricity bills equivalent to average bill for a period of three months, adjustable against future bills.

Wapda has also introduced a scheme for installation of time-of-day (TOD) metres under B-3 and B-4 connections. It has decided to empower load-sanctioning authority to allow the industrial incentive package.

However, the Disco (distribution company) chief will be the final authority in all cases. In case of any dispute, before approaching any other forum, the matter shall be referred to the authority next to the load sanctioning authority of that connection. The general-manager (customer services) will be the final competent authority to resolve the dispute within a month.