Uninterrupted power supply to export-oriented units to be ensured, Lesco tells APTMA

LAHORE: Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Lahore Electric Supply Company (Lesco), Shahid Haider, has provided assurances to the All Pakistan Textile Mills Association (Aptma) regarding uninterrupted electricity supply, particularly to export-oriented units across the region.

During his visit to the Aptma office in Lahore on Thursday, Haider addressed leading exporters, emphasising Lesco’s commitment to sustaining power provision for the entire industry. Accompanying him were Aamer Yasmin, General Manager (Tech), Tahir Mehmood, Chief Engineer Development, Imran Mehmood, Chief Engineer P&D, Zafar Iqbal, Chief Engineer O&M, Mian M Afzal, Manager (Admin) and Mujahid Islam Billah, Member BOD.

Chairman Aptma North, Kamran Arshad along with Asad Shafi, Senior Vice Chairman, former central chairman, Adil Bashir, and executives, including Danish Monnoo, Adeel Mahmood, Yousaf Abdullah, Muhammad Ali Ch, Aamir Sheikh, Umair Abid, Sufyan Akhtar, Ahsan Shahid Warraich, Habib Anwar, Faisal Pervaiz, and Energy Advisor Aptma, reiterated their support for collaboration between both entities to address the energy needs of the industry.

Haider emphasised the vital link between industrial operation and revenue generation, stressing the importance of maintaining full industrial capacity for sustainable growth. He highlighted a reduction of 605 million units in power consumption within the Lesco region due to industry closures, primarily attributed to high tariffs. Recognising the potential repercussions on employment, he underscored Lesco’s efforts to expedite industrial connections to preserve textile jobs.

Addressing seasonal variations in power demand, Haider noted a significant decrease from 22,000 megawatts in summers to 10,000 megawatts in winters, resulting in tariff adjustments. He outlined Lesco’s load shedding schedule for different consumer categories and acknowledged challenges such as line losses, particularly in rural areas, which the management is actively addressing.

Haider assured the resolution of technical issues, such as jerks and tripping, along Manga-Raiwind Road by March 10th, enhancing reliability and stability of power supply. Chairman Aptma emphasised the critical nature of dialogue between stakeholders to address energy requirements effectively, advocating for Regionally Competitive Energy Tariff (RCET) as a pressing need.

Senior Vice Chairman Asad Shafi highlighted the disparity between electricity and gas availability, emphasising the necessity of cost-effective electricity solutions for industrial sustainability. Energy Advisor Aptma, Tahir Basharat Cheema, echoed the sentiment, underlining government initiatives aimed at optimising electricity usage for a successful power sector.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2024