ISLAMABAD: The federal government is working with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the Finance Ministry to finalize a relief package for flood-affected electricity consumers, which will be announced within the next 24 to 48 hours, the National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Energy was told Wednesday.
Power Division Secretary Fakhar Alam Irfan said the package, aimed at easing the burden of electricity bills in disaster-hit areas, is being shaped in consultation with both the IMF and economic managers in Islamabad. “In a day or two, we will bring a relief plan for affected consumers,” he told the committee.
The announcement came as lawmakers during the parliamentary panel meeting held with MNA Muhammad Idrees in the chair, grilled Hyderabad Electric Supply Company (Hesco) over chronic governance failures, low bill recoveries, and unannounced load-shedding. Irfan noted that distribution companies in Lahore and Multan had achieved up to 100 percent recovery, while Hesco continued to lag. “It is not about honest officers sitting in Lahore or Multan,” he said. “Hesco’s problem is governance, not capacity.”
The issue of power outages sparked heated exchanges. Committee member Syed Hussain Tariq demanded an explanation for blackouts when regulators had allowed seven to eight hours of scheduled load-shedding. Hesco’s chief executive admitted unplanned outages occurred due to operational problems, drawing sharp criticism from lawmakers.
Detailing sector finances, Irfan said the power sector recorded losses of 397 billion rupees last year, compared with a target of 640 billion rupees. Losses for the current fiscal year have been capped at 540 billion rupees, with both the IMF and Prime Minister acknowledging progress.
Irfan added that Hesco and Sukkur Electric Power Company (Sepco) would not be privatized but handed over on concessionary contracts to improve recoveries, a model successfully used in Turkey. Their boards will soon be restructured with a majority of private-sector members.