KE overbilled Sindh govt by Rs20b in past 10 years: minister

Provincial energy minister says that during this year’s audit overbilling of more than Rs2b by KE has been proved

KARACHI:

Provincial Energy Minister Nasir Hussain Shah on Wednesday blamed K-Electric (KE) for sending inflated bills to government institutions.

“KE overbilled government institutions by Rs20 billion over the past 10 years,” he disclosed during a meeting with the Council of Economic and Energy Journalists (CEEJ).

He said that during the audit this year too, overbilling of more than Rs2 billion by KE has been proved. The power utility has yet to install billions of rupees worth of smart meters it was provided to avoid over-billing. “What will be the condition of the citizens if there is so much over-billing on government institutions?” the energy minister said expressing anger over the private sector power utility.

He said that the state-run Sukkur Electric Power Company (SEPCO) and Hyderabad Electric Supply Company (HESCO) have installed smart meters, providing the government with real-time data.

The energy minister said that authentic data has brought transparency in payments.

The government will form a joint committee to protect citizens from over-billing. The Sindh government will not allow the people of Karachi to suffer the oppression of K-Electric.

Incentives for local solar panel production

Sindh energy minister has stated that producing solar panels locally can save a significant amount of foreign exchange and create job opportunities.

He announced that the Sindh government will provide special incentives to foreign investors who set up solar panel manufacturing units in the province.

He expressed these views today while speaking to media representatives in the committee room of the Department of Energy.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 30th, 2024.