KARACHI, March 29: Board of Directors of the Karachi Electric Supply Corporation (KESC) on Saturday, in a meeting, cut down security deposits and withdrew system development charges form industrial and commercial consumers, and brought it at par with WAPDA.

The KESC’s Combining Operation Cell was compelling industrial consumers to pay security deposit Rs3000 per kilo watt along with Rs3500 per kilo watt as system development charges, a total of Rs6500 per kw, whereas WAPDA is charging 550 Rs550 to Rs930 per kw in this head. In case consumers failed to comply with the KESC’s demand, they had to face power disconnection of their industrial units. Now maximum security deposit would be Rs1375 per kw instead of Rs3000 per kw depending upon the type of tariff, and there would be no system development charges.

Chairman SITE Industrial Association, Haroon Farooki, said it was the SITE Association that initially rose voice for elimination of such a discrimination because of which the industries of Karachi had become uncompetitive even within the country.— PPI