RECENTLY, K-Electric has requested every consumer to provide their CNIC numbers, according to the Finance Bill 2019 for their records. There are concerns and open questions which need to be addressed by authorities concerned before other utility companies follow suit.

The notification clearly states that KE will be publishing consumers’ CNIC numbers on the bills. This is highly unusual as CNIC is a personal number and should not be displayed on a document such as a utility bill.

For tenanted properties, the connections are in the name of the landlords, while the consumption is by the tenant. Whose CNIC number is required in this situation?

In most apartment blocks, there is flat-wise billing but there is also a common bill that covers power consumption for the general area lighting, lift and water pump etc. Should a CNIC really be required for such a bill, and whose CNIC number should it be?

Majaz Khan
Karachi

Published in Dawn, October 23rd, 2019