ISLAMABAD:
The Ministry of Power presented details of electricity theft in 2024 to the National Assembly on Wednesday, revealing a loss of Rs 12.485 billion due to theft last year.
According to official documents, 5.83 billion rupees have already been recovered from the perpetrators of electricity theft. The crackdown led to the registration of 216,000 FIRs and the arrest of 62,452 people involved in electricity theft.
As part of the fight against theft, a Distribution Service Operations (DSO) unit was established within PESCO in the first phase to effectively combat the menace.
Additionally, the National Assembly was provided with details of taxes collected on electricity bills by K-Electric. The Ministry of Energy has acknowledged the imposition of eight different types of taxes on K-Electric consumers.
The documents revealed that K-Electric collected four types of general sales tax (GST) from consumers, namely normal GST, additional GST, additional GST and retailer GST.
Over the past year, K-Electric consumers paid Rs 102.43 billion under normal GST, Rs 3.14 billion under additional GST and Rs 11.87 billion under additional GST. Another billion rupees was collected as GST from retailers. K-Electric customers also paid Rs 30.26 billion in income tax, Rs 610 million in withholding tax and Rs 1.15 billion in television license fees during the same period .
DISCO
Meanwhile, Federal Minister for Power, Sardar Awais Ahmad Khan Leghari on Wednesday informed the National Assembly that no Electricity Distribution Company (DISCO) has been handed over to Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) .
However, he noted that special intelligence units comprising provincial officials, the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) and other stakeholders are helping to reduce electricity losses and theft in the power sector. electricity.
During question hour in the National Assembly, Leghari said contracts with over 28 independent power producers (IPPs) had been revised, saving the national exchequer Rs1,457 billion.
He also shared that since June last year, the electricity tariff for industries has been reduced by Rs 11 per unit and Rs 4 per unit for other consumers across the country.
Furthermore, the minister announced that the government would stop purchasing electricity after March this year, as part of the transition to an independent electricity market. This system will allow consumers to obtain electricity from several suppliers.
He said the Power Division has reduced the tariffs for electric vehicle (EV) charging stations by 45 per cent and they will now get electricity at Rs 39.70 per unit compared to Rs 71 per unit. existing unit.
Leghari said special units had been created to improve recoveries and check power theft.
