According to media reports, Minister for Power, Sardar Awais Ahmed Khan Leghari, has sought personal interventions of chief ministers for the recovery of Rs over 90 billion from provincial government departments/entities.
Sindh tops the list of defaulter provinces as total receivables against its departments stand at Rs 59.682 billion, of which the share of Hesco is Rs 21, 514 billion and Sepco’s Rs 38.168 billion till September 2024.
The departments of Punjab government owe Rs 38.014 billion to Discos, of which the share of Lesco stands at Rs 17.276 billion, Gepco’s Rs 2.841 billion, Fesco’s Rs 5.057 billion, Iesco’s Rs 2. 933 billion and Mepco’s Rs 9.907 billion.
The amount of outstandings against the government of Balochistan stands at Rs 39.600 billion in the head of Quetta Electricity Supply Company (Qesco) as the entire province getting electricity from Qesco. The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government owes Rs 8.88 billion, of which Rs 6.576 billion is to be paid to Pesco and Rs 2.304 billion by Tesco.
The foregoing clearly shows that the country’s power sector is in terrible mess. The amounts owed by the provinces (mentioned above) are in addition to those caused by widespread incidence of electricity theft in all the four provinces. How ironic it is that the provinces are part of the problem. Non-payments against the consumed electricity and electricity theft strongly characterise the country’s power landscape.
In my view, incumbent power minister’s approach to overcoming the formidable challenge of receivables appears to be based on sound ground as nothing can be achieved without the intervention and cooperation of provincial governments.
Through these columns, I would like to request the International Monetary Fund to exert its pressure on provincial governments through the federal government to help arrest the power sector slide.
No doubt, the power sector has been the Achilles’ heel of successive governments. But it needs to be fixed as early as possible as the country’s economic situation brooks no complacency.
Shahid Warraich (Lahore)
Copyright Business Recorder, 2024
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