Govt to tighten noose around power thieves

In line with the directions of caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar, the interim energy minister said authorities are initiating a crackdown against electricity theft.

On Wednesday, the caretaker government announced several measures to curb power theft across the country in a bid to reduce the ballooning circular debt in the power sector, which is one of the main causes behind the electricity tariff hike.

Caretaker Energy Minister Mohammad Ali, in a press conference in Islamabad, alongside interim Information Minister Murtaza Solangi briefed the media on measures being taken to stop power theft and increase recovery of electricity bills.

Energy Minister Muhammad Ali specified that there are 10 distribution companies, or Discos, in Pakistan at present, and K-Electric, which provides the utility to Karachi, has its own distribution network.

“In every area, there are varying levels of theft and there are different percentages of recovery [payments],” Ali said, revealing that the annual loss due to electricity theft and failure to pay bills is Rs589 billion.

He said that the total loss in the Discos where recovery is relatively better than the rest of the country — in Lahore, Faisalabad, Gujranwala, Multan, and Islamabad — amounted to 79 billion units, which amounts to a loss of Rs100bn out of billing of Rs3,044bn, estimated at 3pc.

The Discos in Peshawar, Hyderabad, Sukkur, Quetta, and Azad Jammu and Kashmir had losses as high as 60pc, He said, explaining that his purpose was to inform the people which suppliers were recording higher losses.

“We have all the data on areas where electricity theft is more and where it is less, we will take steps on the basis of this data,” he announced.

“In areas where electricity theft is greater, we will pay more attention there and initiate a crackdown to end electricity theft.”

“We are working on the electricity theft act under which we will establish the infrastructure of enforcement alongside constituting special courts to try and punish those involved in theft,” the energy minister stated.

He added that the Electricity Act will be moved in the next two to three weeks and passed through a presidential ordinance.

“We are aiming to stop or reduce power theft of Rs589 billion at the earliest,” the interim minister remarked.

He added that power consumers have to “carry a burden of those who steal electricity” and the electricity prices cannot be reduced until the elimination of power theft.

Caretaker Energy Minister said the authorities will take action against power thieves on the basis of data available to them.

The energy minister also shared that a list of those power distribution companies’ officers involved in power theft has been compiled and action against them will be taken.

He said the list of officers has been sent to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) for their removal.

The development comes amid nationwide protests against inflated electricity bills with the relevant authorities having so far failed to come up with immediate relief measures owing to the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) stringent conditions for a short-term $3 billion bailout package.