Lesco collects Rs12.5bn in six months

M RAFIQUE GORAYA

LAHORE: Lahore Electric Supply Company (Lesco) collected record Rs. 12.5 billion revenue in the first six months of the current FY 2011-12, Lesco spokesman, Javed Ahmad Khan told Business Recorder, here on Tuesday.

He said Lesco made 129 percent recovery in the month of December 2011, which also included 97.75 percent recovery of dues from private consumers.

He said Chief Executive of the company, Sharaft Ali Sial has appreciated efforts of the field staff to minimise line losses, and vowed to deal with the culprits of electricity theft with an iron hand. Javed said Lesco supplies electricity in the areas that covers Civil Districts of Lahore, Kasur, Okara, Sheikupura and Nankana Sahib. It serves over 3.3 million domestic, commercial, and industrials customers.

Energy sector experts say that exorbitant electricity line losses, electricity theft and the distribution companies inability to recover their dues from the consumers are the main causes of energy crisis in the country. Pakistan Electric Power Company (Pepco) receivables have increased to over Rs156 billion with Hyderabad Electric Supply Company standing at the top. .

They say that average line losses of entire group of nine distribution companies were up to 19.5 per cent. Losses of Peshawar Electric Power Company (Pesco) and Tribal Electric Supply Company (Tesco) are said to be 39.2 percent while Hyderabad Electric Supply Company (Hesco) 38.8 percent, Karachi Electric Supply Corporation (Kesco) 21.1 per cent, Multan Electric Power Company (Mepco) 25.7 per cent, Islamabad Electric Supply Company (Iesco) 16.2 per cent, Lahore Electric Supply Company (Lesco) 15.7 per cent, Faisalabad Electric Supply Company (Fesco) 14.1 per cent and Kot Addu Power Company (Kepco) 17.2 percent.