Power theft caused financial loss of Rs45bn in FY18: NEPRA

The national exchequer has borne a huge financial loss of more than Rs45 billion due to electricity theft and other damages during the fiscal year of 2017-18, National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) said in a report on Saturday.

It stated that the electricity supply companies

failed to retrieve their dues worth Rs78 billion.

The authority admitted that unannounced

load-shedding was being carried out by different supply companies and the
higher authorities were being provided with wrong statistics regarding the
issue.

“As many as 152 dangerous accidents were

reported during repair and maintenance works,” the report reads. “Peshawar
Electric Supply Company (PESCO), Sukkur Electric Supply Company (SEPCO),
Hyderabad Electric Supply Company (HESCO) and Karachi Electric Supply Company
(KESCO) failed to make any progress in their performance during the last year.”

According to NEPRA, the performance of PESCO,

LESCO, FESCO, KESCO and K-Electric fared better in term of providing new
connections to the consumers.