Power firms asked to file quarterly tariff petitions

Will replace faulty meters within 7 days of being declared defective

ISLAMABAD: Minister for Power Division Awais Ahmed Khan Leghari has issued directives for assessing the performance of power distribution companies and their chief executive officers keeping in view their success in bridging the gap between the electricity units supplied and billed and the strategy adopted to eliminate the mismatch in tariff.

Chairing a performance review meeting on Tuesday, the minister directed the CEOs of distribution companies to file quarterly tariff adjustment petitions within a month with the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (Nepra) for better financial management of the companies.

“This will also help in reducing the gap between the amount billed and recovered by the distribution companies,” he said.

The CEOs will also ensure replacement of faulty electricity meters within seven days of being declared defective besides clearing the backlog of defective meters in their jurisdictions by the end of March 2018.

Taking notice of continuous delay in purchase and depletion of the stock of necessary material, the minister told board chairmen of the distribution companies to draw up a proper procurement plan for the next financial year and get it approved by mid-April 2018.

A list of problematic items of procurement would also be prepared whereas Pakistan Electric Power Company would notify a working group for designing a central procurement system in order to tackle issues of quality and delay in purchase.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 14^th, 2018.

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