The Government has put on hold recovery of revised power dues for 10 days throughout the country, hence, no surcharge would be levied on account of late payments on the power bills issued by the KESC and the Pepco managed eight Discos on the basis of revised power tariff.
Fazal Ahmad Khan, Managing Director, Pakistan Electric Power Company (Pepco) told news personnel here on Thursday that the government has set up a Special Committee, which will take stock of the whole issue and resolve the over-billing issue and also hold accountable the elements responsible for over-billing.
He said the Special Committee which is headed by Raja Pervez Ashraf, Minister for Water and Power will be comprised of members from Nepra, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Resources, representatives from the Chambers of Commerce and Industries, public representatives and members of the civil society.
The first meeting of the Committee has been called in the Ministry of Water and Power, Islamabad on Friday in which, besides the over billing issue, current power shortfall would be discussed with the stakeholders. The Federal Minister for Water and Power wanted the public to know that the government was fully seized of the matter and also cognisant of the difficulties being faced by the public.
He further said that the power crises and the need to revise the earlier tariff was on account of continued non-investment and non-addition to generation capacity during the last decade or so and the unprecedented increase in oil prices etc.
However, all possible steps were being taken to ameliorate the situation. He also clarified that an integrated plan to add on to the existing generating capacity of the country had been put in place on a fast track. This would ensure addition of 6000 MW of new generation capacity within the period 2008 - 2010. The goal here is to banish load shedding by the end of 2009, he added.