Businessmen call for reducing power-sector losses

'In Pakistan, losses amounted to more than 17% of total production'

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI) on Saturday urged the government to take urgent measures for reducing power-sector losses in order to save the industry from load-shedding.

In a statement, ICCI President Sheikh Amir Waheed, while appreciating the government’s efforts to resolve the energy crisis, said rapidly increasing losses in the power sector could bring back electricity load-shedding because of high demand in the summer season.

Quoting Federal Minister for Power Division Awais Ahmed Khan Leghari, he said despite a 1.2% reduction in transmission and distribution (T&D) losses, annual power-sector losses had reached Rs360 billion.

“Annual T&D losses during 2013 were Rs120 billion which have now increased to Rs360 billion, showing power companies have failed to improve their infrastructure,” Waheed said.

Founder Group Chairman Zubair Ahmed Malik said according to a World Bank report, the T&D losses in South Korea were 3% of total production, 4% in Japan, 5% in China, 6% in Thailand and Malaysia and 9% in Indonesia.

In Pakistan, he said, the losses amounted to more than 17% of total production.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 25^th, 2018.

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