Pakistan: DISCOs fail to recover Rs 232.78b

Numerous electricity distribution companies (DISCOs) have failed to recover a collective amount to the tune of Rs 232.78 billion from consumers belonging to both private and government sectors until July this year. According to documents available with Pakistan Today, the Lahore Electric Supply Company (LESCO), providing electricity to Lahore, Okara, Sheikhupura and Kasur areas, had a total of 0.435 million defaulters from whom LESCO failed to collect dues worth Rs 7.97 billion until July. Of these 0.435 million defaulters, 4847 belong to the government sector and owe Rs 3.546 billion to LESCO. The Gujranwala Electric Power Company (GEPCO) failed to collect Rs 2.466 billion from over 2,500 defaulting consumers belonging to the government sector and 0.249 million from the private sector from Gujranwala, Gujrat and Sialkot areas. The Faisalabad Electric Supply Company (FESCO) providing power to Jhang, Sargodha and Faisalabad also failed to recover Rs 880.80 million from 0.296 million consumers. The documents made available to Pakistan Today showed that a total of 0.720 million consumers owed the Multan Electric Power Company (MEPCO) Rs 3.765 billion. Of these, 8,000 defaulters belonged to the government sector who failed to pay Rs 1.255 billion to MEPCO that supplies power to Multan, DG Khan, Vehari, Bahawalpur, Sahiwal, Rahim Yar Khan, Muzaffargarh and Bahawalnagar. Until July, the Peshawar Electric Supply Company (PESCO) also failed to recover Rs 42.501 billion from its 0.840 million defaulters. Of the above PESCO defaulters, 8,000 belonged to the government sector who collectively owed Rs 5.566 billion. PESCO also had to recover Rs 36.934 billion from a total of 0.832 million consumers. The Hyderabad Electric Supply Company (HESCO) failed to recover an amount of Rs 31.717 billion from 0.468 million consumers. Of these, 11,000 were government employees. The Sukkur Electric Supply Company (SEPCO) failed to recover Rs 48.593 billion from 0.461 million consumers belonging to Sukkur, Ghotki, Khairpur, Ranipur, Rohri, Larkana, Larkano, Shikarpur, Jacobabad, Dadu, Mehar, Naushero Feroze, and Moro areas. The Tribal Areas Electricity Supply Company (TESCO) providing electricity to FATA Peshawar, FATA Bannu, FATA Tank Div, and FATA Circle had to recover Rs 32.110 billion from 0.434 million consumers until July. The Quetta Electric Supply Company (QESCO) had 0.230 million defaulters until July this year from whom it had to recover Rs 50 billion. Four thousand of these were government employees who still had to pay Rs 3.77 billion to QESCO. The Islamabad Electric Supply Company failed to receive Rs 12.78 billion until July from its 197,000 defaulters. Of these, 191,000 belonged to the private sector, who owed IESCO Rs 496 million. Of the total IESCO defaulters, 5633 belonged to the government sector Rs 12.287 billion. From its defaulters in Rawalpindi, IESCO had to receive a total amount of Rs 6.19 billion from 66,464 defaulters. Of these, 64,819 were private consumers who failed to pay their dues worth Rs 210 million to IESCO, while 1,645 were government employees who had to pay Rs 5.986 billion until July this year.