A nationwide initiative targeting power theft has successfully recovered Rs105 billion. This joint effort by government and military leaders aims to revive the national economy and alleviate the power crisis affecting the populace.
Between June 30 and July 17, authorities collected over Rs1.6 billion from electricity thieves in Lahore, Gujranwala, Faisalabad, Multan, and Islamabad. An additional Rs430 million was recovered from Peshawar, Hyderabad, Sukkur, and Quetta during the same period.
More than 83,000 individuals involved in power theft have been apprehended, with ongoing operations planned until all instances of electricity theft are eradicated across the country.
Recent reports from the power sector, as cited by Business Recorder, highlight significant losses in electricity bill recovery in Punjab, equating to the total demand of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) and Balochistan combined. The actual quantity lost in terms of kilowatt hours (KWH) for electricity and unaccounted-for gas in MMbtu for natural gas is emphasized over percentage figures.
Districts in Balochistan report losses exceeding 90%, amounting to a revenue loss of Rs40 billion, while other districts there and in KPK experience losses between 61% to 80%, totaling Rs42 billion and Rs97 billion respectively. Similarly, areas in KPK and Sindh register losses ranging from 21% to 40%, resulting in revenue losses of Rs99 billion.
In Punjab, districts with recovery losses between 6% to 10% incur Rs68 billion in losses, while areas with losses of 5% or less cause a revenue deficit of Rs37 billion.
