HESCO, SEPCO lose Rs60b in a year

ISLAMABAD:

An official on Thursday informed the Standing Committee on Power Division that Hyderabad Electric Supply Company (HESCO) and Sukkur Electric Power Company (SEPCO) had suffered losses of around Rs60 billion in one year due to non-recovery and technical issues.

The committee's 10th meeting was chaired by Muhammad Idrees. Members reviewed the issue of discriminatory load-shedding by HESCO and denial of basic utility rights to bill-paying consumers, raised by MNA Syed Hussain Tariq.

Tariq clarified that his criticism was directed at the company's policies and structural weaknesses, not its CEO or staff. He highlighted the plight of consumers in Hyderabad's apartment complexes and areas such as Sadar, where residents pay their bills in full yet face prolonged outages.

Several members urged the Power Division and HESCO to prioritize structural reforms instead of short-term fixes.

The Power Division secretary informed the committee that HESCO had submitted an investment plan to NEPRA in November 2024 to upgrade feeders and strengthen the transmission network. The committee directed that NEPRA be invited to the next meeting to clarify its stance on the plan and related regulatory approvals.

The secretary suggested that HESCO revise and resubmit its plan so NEPRA's feedback on progress and shortcomings could be presented before the committee. He further proposed convening a detailed meeting on HESCO and SEPCO at his office within 10-12 days, once the flood situation eased, with the CEOs in attendance. If progress proved unsatisfactory, he said, a clear report would be demanded. The committee endorsed the proposal and directed that SEPCO's CEO also be summoned.

The committee also reviewed the Jam Nawaz Ali grid station project in District Sanghar. Officials briefed that 90% of work had been completed, with only one tower crossing pending NTDC approval. The committee directed NTDC to expedite the matter so the grid could be commissioned by October as pledged.