‘Consumers cannot pay bills after tariff hike’

Worried utility announces new projects to bridge electricity demand-supply gap.

KARACHI: The Karachi Electric Supply Company admitted that if the electricity tariff continues to soar, the consumers will not be able to pay the bills. “It is the National Electricity and Power Regulatory Authority (Nepra) and not the KESC that is responsible for the increase in electricity tariff.”

Addressing a seminar on “The Future Power Generation in Pakistan” at the NED University of Engineering and Technology, KESC Chief Operating Officer for Grid and Transmission Khalid Jawaid claimed that the utility is determined to give uninterrupted power supply to the people of the city, but quickly added that the gas supply provided is not sufficient to run power plants that are gas-dependent only.

Jawaid added that the construction of a power plant at Bin Qasim-II is in progress in which KESC has invested US $400 million. “This plant has the capacity to generate 560 MW and it would be operational very soon,” he assured.

After an extensive presentation on power transformers, Jawaid, shed light on four basic issues faced by the average KESC stakeholder: load-shedding, electricity tariff, customer service and foreign investment.

The utility cannot guarantee an end to load-shedding until people stop electricity theft, Jawaid said.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 16^th,  2011.