KARACHI:
The Tribal Electric Supply Company (TESCO) oversees electricity distribution in seven districts of the ex-FATA region, which are now merged into Khybe- Pakhtunkhwa (KP). Despite an electrification rate of 62.72% and limited daily electricity supply, TESCO reports unusually high average electricity consumption. This scenario begs an investigation into the root causes behind this discrepancy as it implies a significant financial burden on the government in terms of subsidies.
According to data from the Pakistan Social and Living Standards Measurement, the merged areas have the lowest electricity asset ownership compared to other provinces in Pakistan. Only 2-4 hours of daily electricity is provided to the merged areas making it unlikely for a household to consume more than 50-60 units of electricity per month. Despite these limitations, the highest average consumption per connection is recorded at 304 units per month. These high figures seem rather suspicious.
It seems that the government is charged for 250 extra units. Either this is because of electricity theft or financial diversions. Nonetheless, this situation presents a paradox for the government. The disparity places an unnecessary financial burden on the government and calls for an immediate investigation into potential electricity theft or other illicit activities that can explain the imbalance. By addressing this issue, the government will not only save millions of taxpayer funds but ensure an equitable distribution of resources to improve the living standards of people living in the merged areas.
Yahya Bajwa
Michigan
Published in The Express Tribune, September 1st, 2023.
Like Opinion & Editorial on Facebook, follow @ETOpEd on Twitter to receive all updates on all our daily pieces.
