Mepco violating Supreme Court directive

Multan Electric Power Company (Mepco) and other distribution companies of Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda) are sending bills to its consumers in violation of the Supreme Court directive, which asked the authority to ensure at least 15 days time gap between issuance and expiry dates of the bills.
Sources here on Friday said that the Authority had not directed its power distribution companies countrywide properly to follow the SC verdict given in February this year.
The sources said that Wapda had also been charging 10 percent surcharge on the late payment of power bills from its consumers, which was a good source of extra revenue for the authority.
They said that taking notice of the complaint that the consumers were receiving electricity bills close to the due date, the Supreme Court had directed Wapda to give at least 15 days to consumers to pay the bills. The consumers were, however, given around nine days generally by Wapda, whereas most of the consumers had been receiving their bills even after the expiry dates.
The Wapda officials too have confirmed that the maximum number of consumer's complaints were related to late delivery of bills, errors in bills and delay in refunds and even non payment of refunds.
The court also noted the difficulties coming in the way of consumers when they receive electricity bill even after the due date. After the court's direction Wapda was supposed to formulate a strategy to ensure that the consumers get at least 15 days time for paying bills.
But contrary to that a number of consumers had complaints that they were receiving the bills even at the due date. The sources said that Central Board of Revenue had notified for the imposition of 15 percent sales tax from October 1, 2004 on surcharge being collected by Wapda from its consumers on the late payment of bills.
The sales tax amount and Television fee had been included in the total amount of surcharge mentioned in the bills of the consumers, according to a sales tax notification issued by the CBR after incorporating amendment in the sales tax special procedures rules 2004.
However, the consumers said that they had not been receiving their electricity bills within due dates. They said that they had to pay late payment surcharge in most of the cases as the consumers services centers or the revenue officers did not bother in extending the due dates.