Law changes to open doors for private companies

State power companies asked to introduce innovative solutions

ISLAMABAD: A new law after amendments to the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (Nepra) Act would open doors for potential private electricity supplying companies and spark healthy competition for better service delivery to consumers, says Federal Minister for Power Division Sardar Awais Ahmad Khan Leghari.

In a meeting with Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda) Hydroelectric Worker Union on Thursday, the minister said existing state-owned electricity supplying companies must improve service delivery and in case of failure they would face stiff competition from private sector companies.



In order to provide better services, he emphasised, the public sector power distribution companies would have to work hard to bring down losses, introduce innovative technological solutions, train manpower that could face challenges and focus on consumer interests.

Talking about high-loss feeders, the minister pointed out that the government was considering providing incentives for the staff and officers to encourage them to push down the losses to given targets. In this regard, Pakistan Electric Power Company (Pepco) and the Power Division have already been tasked to come up and give final shape to the proposals.



Leghari told meeting participants that he had given directives for allocating adequate funds for the purchase of necessary equipment in an effort to ensure the safety of workers at different levels. “It is our priority to provide a secure environment for the electricity workers,” he remarked.

He assured representatives of the worker union that orders had been issued to lift the ban on necessary recruitment in the distribution companies.



A policy is also under consideration to assess the existing condition of public sector power generation facilities in order to determine whether these would have the capacity to withstand new parameters in the future.

Hydroelectric Worker Union General Secretary Khursheed Ahmed emphasised that the employees were willing to further improve their work given they were provided with better equipment.

He welcomed the directive to remove the ban on the hiring of heirs of deceased Wapda employees.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 24^th, 2017.

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