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Business Recorder
5 days ago
- Business
- Business Recorder
2 Sindh-based DISCOs' working irks PD
ISLAMABAD: The Power Division has expressed displeasure at the performance of two Sindh-based power Distribution Companies (DISCOs) — SEPCO (Sukkur Electric Supply Company) and HESCO (Hyderabad Electric Supply Company). Responding to questions during a meeting of National Assembly Standing Committee on Power, presided over by Muhammad Idrees, Federal Minister for Power, Awais Leghari stated that the performance of SEPCO and HESCO is disappointing. Power Division is using all its influence to change the incumbent Boards of both Discos but did not succeed due to political interference by the Peoples Party. Acting CEO HESCO, who is a Charted Accountant continues to occupy the office contrary to the wishes of Power Division. Poor performance of 3 Discos earns PD's ire 'The level of losses is decreasing in other DISCOs, but in these two Companies, the loss rate is increasing,' said the Minister. In the last meeting of Standing Committee, acting CEO HESCO had challenged the claims of both the Minister and Ministry's officials about losses in HESCO. During the committee proceedings, Rana Muhammad Hayat enquired if electricity tariffs will be reduced further in the upcoming fiscal year? Nepra Chairman Waseem Mukhtar replied that as of now, the electricity rates are expected to remain the same. Rana Hayat noted that 30 per cent tariff relief has been given to industry and asked why agriculture has not been given any concessions? Secretary Power Division, Dr. Fakhray Alam Irfan stated that the relief to the industrial sector was made possible by ending cross-subsidy. PAC Chairman Junaid Akbar, who is also member of Power Committee stated that four months ago he had offered to personally remove illegal connections (Kundas), adding that they cooperated and yet the line losses are not decreasing. 'Because line losses aren't reducing, consumers are without electricity for up to eight hours. The work isn't done, yet elected representatives are blamed,' Akbar maintained. Answering Junaid Akbar, Chief Executive PESCO stated that due to cooperation there has been significant improvement, and more is expected in the next month, adding that the power utility company provides relief on annual basis instead of monthly. He, however, was directed by the Minister for Power to extend relief in load shedding to the consumers on monthly basis. The committee was informed that for vulnerable consumers, the price has been reduced by 48 to 50 percent. The number of such consumers is 17 million. Power Division has sought an increase in the subsidy of Rs. 294 billion for protected consumers. The burden of consumers' subsidies for the poor falls on the middle class. The new base electricity tariff will be implemented from July 1, 2025. The impact of the July re-basing will be reflected in the August electricity bills. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Business Recorder
05-05-2025
- Business
- Business Recorder
Repayments via power bills: DC fans to replace AC ones thru govt initiative
ISLAMABAD: The government is poised to launch a nationwide initiative to replace alternating current (AC) fans with more energy-efficient direct current (DC) fans. This programme will be funded by commercial banks, with repayment to be made in small installments through electricity bills. Dr. Fakhray Alam Irfan, Secretary of Power, disclosed this information during a meeting of the National Assembly Standing Committee on Power, chaired by Muhammad Idrees. He explained that key fan manufacturers have been in regular discussions with the National Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority (NEECA). As a result, many large manufacturers have already shifted from producing AC fans to DC fans. In addition, Dr. Irfan highlighted a new program introduced by the Prime Minister, which will be rolled out within the current financial year. The program, which is almost finalized, allows consumers who opt to participate to receive loans from banks to replace their old, inefficient AC fans with energy-efficient DC fans. These loans will be repaid through adjustments in their electricity bills. The committee was informed that the replacement of AC fans with DC fans could save up to 5,000 MW of electricity, eliminating the need for additional generation capacity. Currently, AC fans consume 388 million units of electricity annually, costing $25 million. Air conditioners account for 135 million units with a financial impact of $7 million, while refrigerators consume 1,073 million units at a cost of $53 million. Beating the heat, cutting the cost: How inverter fans have taken over the market The committee was also briefed on steps being taken to ensure energy conservation across public sector organizations. The Power Minister has written to all public sector departments to comply with energy-saving building codes, and provincial governments have been urged to implement these codes as well. The committee plans to send its recommendations to the provincial governments for further action. The government's target is to save $6.4 billion annually starting from 2030 through the implementation of Minimum Energy Performance Standards (MEPS). During the meeting, MNA Chaudhary Naseer Ahmed Absas revealed that some guest houses in Islamabad are involved in electricity theft, allegedly in collusion with officials from the Islamabad Electric Supply Company (IESCO). He added that one IESCO official owns a guest house that is directly supplied with electricity. Absas further claimed that consumers who have installed solar photovoltaic (PV) panels are being sent inflated bills. Additionally, meters in several government buildings and water pumps are reported to be faulty or burnt, yet these consumers are still being overbilled, with the costs of stolen electricity added to their charges. The issue of recovery and losses at Hyderabad Electric Supply Company (HESCO) and Sukkur Electric Power Company (SEPCO) also came under discussion. It was revealed that the figures provided by the Power Division and both distribution companies differed, leading to a disagreement between the Power Minister, Sardar Awais Khan Leghari, and the CEO of HESCO. Imtiaz Gilani, Additional Secretary of the Power Division, noted that the performance of both HESCO and SEPCO had deteriorated compared to the previous year. In his briefing on the Indicative Generation Capacity Expansion Plan (IGCEP) for 2025-35, the Power Minister stated that when the current government took office, there were plans for power projects totaling 90,014 megawatts. By eliminating expensive projects, the government has reduced the financial burden by Rs 1,953 billion. He further explained that by adjusting the timelines of these projects, the government has saved Rs 2,790 billion, ultimately saving consumers Rs 4,700 billion. The Minister emphasized that with this revised planning, the government will no longer need to purchase additional electricity, and the expected rise in electricity prices will no longer occur. 'Had we not made these adjustments, the additional costs would have inevitably been passed on to the consumers,' he added. During the meeting, MNA Ameen-ul-Haq from Karachi inquired about safety measures in place for electricity distribution in the city. Sadia Dada, Chief Distribution Officer at K-Electric (KE), responded that strict safety measures are enforced during both the summer and monsoon seasons. She explained that water accumulation caused by rainfall and illegal power connections (known as 'kundas') create further challenges. To mitigate these issues, KE temporarily shuts off grids during rainy seasons to protect lives, and power is restored once the water levels recede. Dada also noted that KE operates 2,100 feeders, with 70% of them free from load-shedding. Industrial areas are fully exempt from load-shedding. KE plans to invest around $2 billion in upgrading its system, with the investment plan awaiting approval from the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA). Secretary of the Power Division, Dr. Fakhray Alam Irfan, informed the committee that KE currently receives 900 MW of electricity from the national grid, and this supply will increase to 1,600 MW in the near future. He further stated that the provision of additional electricity from the national grid would reduce the financial burden of subsidies on the government. On the issue related to restoration of electricity supply in those areas of KP where losses are 80- 100 per cent also came under discussion. Power Minister stated that a policy be framed with the support of public representatives but in case of loss, no electricity will be supplied. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Express Tribune
24-03-2025
- Express Tribune
Police register case against cleric's killing
A case has been registered against unidentified assailants for the brutal murder of Qari Nizamuddin, who fell victim to targeted killing in Attock. The FIR was lodged by his wife at the Model Police Station, Attock City. According to the complaint, Qari Nizamuddin, son of Fazal Ilahi, was a resident of Jhamat and lived with his wife and three children in their own house in Khattak Colony, Attock. He also ran a religious seminary in Mohalla Farooq Azam. During Ramadan, he regularly led Taraweeh prayers at Loharan Mosque, Attock. On the night of the incident, he had left home on his motorcycle as usual to lead the prayers. At around 10:30 PM, their neighbor, Muhammad Idrees, son of Mansab Khan, rang the doorbell. When his wife and son, Muhammad Ahmed, went outside, they saw a gathering of locals in the street. To their shock, Qari Nizamuddin's body lay in a pool of blood near their gate, with a gunshot wound to his chest. Neighbor Muhammad Idrees immediately called Rescue 1122 and the police helpline (15). The deceased was rushed to the District Headquarters Hospital in an ambulance. According to the wife's statement, the assailants remain unidentified, and the family had no known enmity with anyone.
Express Tribune
26-02-2025
- Business
- Express Tribune
Local coal can generate 'cheap' electricity
The power division officials on Wednesday informed the National Assembly Standing Committee on Energy, which met with Committee Chairman Muhammad Idrees in the chair, that the they were working on the provision of interest-free loans to shift tube wells to solar energy. The Power Division secretary also informed the committee that authorities were in negotiations with the IMF for reduction in the taxes on the electricity bills. Currently, he added, Rs 800 to 900 billion taxes were collected from electricity bills alone. The committee discussed various issues relating to the generation cost and the billing to the consumers. The meeting was informed that power generation from imported coal cost Rs16 per unit, while local coal cost Rs4 per unit. During the meeting, committee member Rana Muhammad Hayat pointed out that the electricity bills and the expenses of the Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda) had been increasing during past four years. He asked the official about the cheaper sources of power generation On that the Power Division officials replied that the cost of electricity from local coal would be Rs4 per unit. "Currently, the cost of electricity from imported coal is Rs16 per unit, and the cost of generating electricity from oil is Rs30 to 32 per unit," said the reply. Another committee member Syed Mustafa Kamal raised the question about any plan to switch to coal-based plants after shutting down hydro-electric (hydel) and thermal projects. "What will be the plan if there is a problem with coal-based plants in the future," he asked. The Power Division secretary said that the department was working on forecast for power plants for the next 10 years, adding that many of the oil-fired power plants would be shut down in the next three years. "We can set up coal plants in a short period of time," the secretary stated. Malik Anwar Taj asked about the planning to lay underground electricity cables to reduce theft and losses. He pointed out that Islamabad incurred lesser losses and theft cases because of the underground cables. However, the secretary stressed that it was not the complete solution to those problems. Kamal stressed the need for breaking monopoly of the power utility, saying that K-Electric was privatised but its monopoly over power distribution in Karachi remained intact, so the people were forced to buy electricity only from K-Electric. People should have the option to switch to other utility, he suggested. The secretary agreed with the lawmaker and told the committee that the Power Division was working on plan to creating a free electricity market. "Consumers will be able to buy electricity from any company, they wish," he said. "Very soon electricity consumers will also be able to read their own meters. We are working on developing mobile apps for all DISCOs [Distribution Companies] and the consumers will be able to take a picture of the meter reading history from their mobile phones and send it," he added. The meeting formed a sub-committee to look into the issue of 7.8 million additional units for the consumers of Lahore Electric Supply Company (Lesco) consumers. Officials said that 800,000 meters had been replaced in Islamabad, while another 1.2 million meters would be replaced with smart meters.
