ISLAMABAD:
The Power Ministry on Wednesday submitted details of electricity theft in 2024 to the National Assembly, revealing a loss of Rs 12,485 crore due to theft last year.
According to official documents, Rs 5.83 billion have already been recovered from electricity theft criminals. The crackdown led to the registration of 216,000 FIRs and the arrest of 62,452 people involved in electricity theft.
As part of the anti-theft drive, a Distribution Service Operations (DSO) unit has been established at PESCO during the first phase to combat the menace effectively.
Additionally, the National Assembly received details of taxes collected by K-Electric on electricity bills. The Ministry of Energy acknowledged the imposition of eight different types of taxes on K-Electric consumers.
The documents revealed that K-Electric collected four types of General Sales Tax (GST) from consumers, namely, regular GST, additional GST, additional GST and retail GST.
Last year, K-Electric consumers paid Rs 102.43 billion under regular GST, Rs 3.14 billion under additional GST and Rs 11.87 billion as additional GST. Another Rs 1,830 crore was collected through retail GST. K-Electric customers also paid Rs 30.26 billion in income tax, Rs 610 million in net metering withholding tax and Rs 1.15 billion in television license fees during the same period.
DISK
Meanwhile, Federal Minister for Power Sardar Awais Ahmad Khan Leghari on Wednesday informed the National Assembly that no Power Distribution Company (DISCO) was handed over to Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI).
However, he noted that special intelligence units comprising provincial officials, the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) and other stakeholders are helping to curb electricity losses and theft in the power sector.
During question time at the National Assembly, Leghari shared that contracts with more than 28 independent power producers (IPPs) have been reviewed, saving the national exchequer Rs 1,457 billion.
He also shared that since June last year, the electricity tariff for industries has been reduced by Rs 11 per unit and by Rs 4 per unit for other consumers across the country.
Additionally, the minister announced that the government will stop purchasing electricity after March this year while it transitions to an independent electricity market. This system will allow consumers to purchase electricity from multiple suppliers.
He said the Power Division has reduced 45 per cent tariff for electric vehicle (EV) charging stations and they will now get power at Rs 39.70 per unit from the existing Rs 71 per unit.
Leghari said special units have been set up to improve recoveries and check power theft.
