ISLAMABAD: The Power Division has requested the Ministry of Communication to refund the remaining liabilities of power distribution companies (discos) totaling Rs 8.7 billion.
It will enable discos to recoup their bills from clients deposited in General Post Offices(GPOs) from July 2022.
The power division has requested that the Secretary of the Ministry of Communication and the Director General (DG), Pakistan Post, clear liabilities of discos pending as of July 2022 in an office memo dated February 14, 2023.
The GPOs had obtained the electricity bills from the power users and had kept the money collected rather than paying the discos.
The power division’s memo stated that this money would not only assist the power sector in meeting its debt obligations and paying generators, but it would also contribute to preventing unplanned load-shedding during the upcoming summer.
The document declared that “immediate action is extremely desirable.”
Moreover, the letter states that the Communication Ministry’s GPOs must pay out the debts owed by K-Electric and four discos.
Communication Ministry owes Rs8.7bn to DISCOs
Out of the total amount of Rs. 8.7 billion with GPOs, Rs. 2.4 billion belongs to the Hyderabad Electric Supply Company (HESCO). Rs. 8 billion belongs to the Quetta Electric Supply Company (QESCO) and Rs. 750 million to the Lahore Electric Supply Company (LESCO). Additionally, it includes Sukkur Electric Power Company’s (SEPCO) Rs. 783 million and K- Electric’s Rs. 3.9 billion.
The PPOD has already paid the other discos’ liabilities totaling more than Rs 17 billion. However, the electricity division has requested the prompt release of Rs 750 million of LESCO, which is still pending with the PPOD.
Read more: K-Electric is yet to pay Rs350bn to CPPA
Finance Division allowed PPOD to draw released Rs 20 billion from the State Bank of Pakistan.
