Catch power thieves… if you can
The government decides to tackle power issue by going after power theives
Ostensibly feeling the heat from the Opposition over its decisions to hike gas tariffs, the government has now decided to tackle the power issue a little differently in a bid to raise revenues without raising tariffs: going after power thieves.
Before heading to Saudi Arabia to seek funds to run the cash-strapped and debt-ridden government, Prime Minister Imran Khan chaired a meeting of the energy task force. He was briefed on the current energy situation in the country and plans to devise long-term plans to solve the power crisis, exploration of and exploitation of new gas blocks and using technology curb pilferage.
During the meeting, the prime minister directed to find means to lower the power tariffs and to take action against power thieves and a special task force was set up under the Punjab chief minister to stop power theft.
On the surface, this move appears to be an extension of PM Imran’s electoral promise of tackling the various forms and ways corruption manifests in the country. But there is a deeper purpose behind this.
The government has faced intense criticism from the combined opposition over its move to raise the gas tariffs. As a result, the government has put off plans to raise the power tariffs.
The simple reason is that the day Imran Khan took oath as the 22nd prime minister of Pakistan, it emerged that the circular debt of the power sector had swelled to a whopping Rs1.148 trillion.
This massive circular debt is one of the reasons why Imran feels compelled to go on a fundraising drive to Saudi Arabia for the second time in as many months.
For him, it is clear that the country — rather its citizens — must at least pay the bills they owe. A crackdown on power pilferers is thus, not only apt, but also long overdue.
The challenge, though, would be belling this fat cat, especially given PTI’s chequered history of clamping down on power thieves in K-P.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 24th, 2018.
Before heading to Saudi Arabia to seek funds to run the cash-strapped and debt-ridden government, Prime Minister Imran Khan chaired a meeting of the energy task force. He was briefed on the current energy situation in the country and plans to devise long-term plans to solve the power crisis, exploration of and exploitation of new gas blocks and using technology curb pilferage.
During the meeting, the prime minister directed to find means to lower the power tariffs and to take action against power thieves and a special task force was set up under the Punjab chief minister to stop power theft.
On the surface, this move appears to be an extension of PM Imran’s electoral promise of tackling the various forms and ways corruption manifests in the country. But there is a deeper purpose behind this.
The government has faced intense criticism from the combined opposition over its move to raise the gas tariffs. As a result, the government has put off plans to raise the power tariffs.
The simple reason is that the day Imran Khan took oath as the 22nd prime minister of Pakistan, it emerged that the circular debt of the power sector had swelled to a whopping Rs1.148 trillion.
This massive circular debt is one of the reasons why Imran feels compelled to go on a fundraising drive to Saudi Arabia for the second time in as many months.
For him, it is clear that the country — rather its citizens — must at least pay the bills they owe. A crackdown on power pilferers is thus, not only apt, but also long overdue.
The challenge, though, would be belling this fat cat, especially given PTI’s chequered history of clamping down on power thieves in K-P.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 24th, 2018.