LAHORE: The Lahore Electric Supply Company (LESCO) appointed focal persons for the Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry to overcome the challenges of new connections, extension of load and over billing.
The decision was made by the LESCO Chief Executive Officer Qaiser Zaman while speaking at the Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry. The LCCI president Sheikh Muhammad Arshad, senior vice president Almas Hyder, former presidents Shahid Hassan Sheikh, Mian Muzaffar Ali and Farooq Iftikhar also spokes on the occasion while executive committee members were present in the meeting.
The LESCO chief spoke at length and threw light on the issues being faced by LESCO. He said that shortage of technical staff is one of the main reasons of governance issues. He said that Technical Advisor LESCO Chaudhry Mohammad Anwar and Director Customer Service Mohammad Khalid would look into the issues of new connections and over billing.
He said that LESCO is making all out efforts to overcome the line losses and situation is getting better with every passing day. He said that LESCO recoveries are also at record level while latest technology is being used to control line losses.
He said that LESCO has decided to install 75000 smart meters that help control losses from outer circles. He said that a cell has been established for the monitoring of industrial connections.
Speaking on the occasion, the LCCI President Sheikh Muhammad Arshad conveyed the reservations of trade and industry to the LESCO Chief and urged him to address these issues without any delay.
The LCCI president said that existing 14 percent line losses should be less than 10 percent as line losses are one of the biggest reasons of energy crisis. He stressed the need for using latest technology to control electricity theft.
He said that heavy over billing is hampering the trade and economic activities and business community is deep trouble as electricity is the basic raw material of industrial sector and fluctuation in its prices affects the input cost.
He said that the Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry had received a number of complaints from LCCI members regarding over billing by LESCO. Over billing is bound to add to people’s problems as they were already suffering due to inflation.
Sheikh Muhammad Arshad said that the industry should be given priority for equitable loadshedding should be ensured in all industrial areas. He said that lack of coordination on the part of LESCO was also causing undue problems.
He said that all the industrial feeders should be given electricity for at least two shifts at stretch for the sake of industrial processes.
Earlier, a detailed presentation about procedures of getting electricity connection in Pakistan and Korea was given by LCCI R&D Department. The LCCI Senior Vice President Almas Hyder said that electricity connection is not an easy task and also hinders investment scenario. He said that in Pakistan it takes 179 days to get an electricity connection while in Korea you can get connection in just 18 days. He also identified the difficulties being faced by an entrepreneurs in getting new electricity connection.
