KARACHI:  Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah said here on Thursday that power distribution companies were collecting electricity duty from consumers on behalf of the Sindh government but they were not transferring the amount to the provincial government in this head; therefore, he directed energy department to evolve a mechanism for direct deposit of the electricity duty in provincial government account.

While presiding over a meeting regarding payment of electricity bills to power distribution companies (DISCOs) and collect electricity duty from them [DISCOs) as they are collecting it on behalf the provincial government

The Chief Minister Sindh said that the DISCOS such as KE, HESCO and SEPCO were collecting electricity duty from domestic and commercial consumers at the rate of 1.5 percent and 2 percent of the electricity bills respectively but the amount was not returned to the provincial government.

The meeting was attended by Energy Minister Imtiaz Shaikh, Advisor to CM Murtaza Wahab, Chief Secretary Mumtaz Shah, Principal Secretary to CM Sajid Jamal Abro, Secretary Finance Najam Shah, Secretary Energy Musadiq Khan and other officers concerned.

He said that according to a rough estimate, around Rs 3 billion electricity duty was being collected by the KE annually. “The HESCO and SEPCO are also collecting but they did not despot this amount in the Sindh government’s account.”

Shah directed Minister Energy to constitute a committee under Secretary Energy to reconcile the figures of electricity duty with DESCOs and direct them to deposit the amount in Sindh government account. He also directed the minister energy to meet Governor State Bank and get a system evolved under which payment of electricity duty is made, so that electricity bills might be deposited directly in the provincial government’s account.

Payment of power bills: The chief minister was told that there was a KMC electricity bill worth Rs 580 million which the provincial government had to pay. The chief minister directed the energy minister to get the bill reconciled first and then pay in installments.

Shah said that all KE bills pertaining to all departments, KWSB, autonomous and semi-autonomous organisations, DMCS, local bodies and all other officers should be rigorously reconciled by energy department and thereafter should be paid.