Improved Power System Can Jack Up 'Ease Of Doing Businesses' Ranking

Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) President Almas Hyder said on Monday that an improved electricity system can jack up Pakistan's 'Ease of Doing Business' ranking.

LAHORE, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 15th Oct, 2018 ) :Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) President Almas Hyder said on Monday that an improved electricity system can jack up Pakistan's 'Ease of Doing business' ranking.

He was talking to Chief Executive Officer of Lahore Electric Supply Company (LESCO) Mujahid Pervaiz Chattha here at Lahore Chamber where LCCI Senior Vice President Khawja Shahzad Nasir, Vice President Fahim-ur-Rehman Sehgal and Executive Committee Members also spoke on the occasion.

Almas Hyder said that electricity was one of the indicators which determined the ranking of 'Ease of Doing Business'. Pakistan would have to make electricity system better to improve this poor ranking which was also deterring the foreign direct investment.

He said that ranking of 147th in 'Ease of Doing Business' could be improved if LESCO makes electricity system better in Lahore. "Uninterrupted electricity is a must to achieve 6 to 7 per cent growth rate," the LCCI President said and added that not only electricity related but all infrastructure, whether it was airports, railway stations or road network, should be upgraded to turn this city into showcase of the world.

LCCI chief urged the CEO LESCO to share his distribution, management and development plans with the Lahore Chamber of Commerce & Industry.

He said that load-shedding was still happening even at midnight when power load on system was normal.

Earlier, LESCO CEO Mujahid Pervaiz Chatha said that there was no manipulation in load-shedding and electricity supply was far better than the last year. Power-shutdowns were compulsion for maintenance and repairing work.

He said that transmission system of LESCO was double than Karachi and no system of the world could run without maintenance.

To a question, he said that 80 to 90 per cent malpractices had been removed in billing, asserting that concerned staff had been directed to keep away from overbilling.

About new power connections, Chattha said that LESCO was bringing continuous perfection in the framework given by NEPRA (National Electric Power Regulatory Authority).

He said that in case of late payment, LESCO imposed 10 per cent penalty, gave 30 days and disconnected electricity after two months continuous default.

He said that feeders of Quaid-e-Azam, Sunder and Ferozepur Road industrial areas would be interruption-free soon as work was well on the way.

He said that government had allocated Rs 500 million for improvement in power distribution system in old Lahore and tenders had been called.

To a query by LCCI President Almas Hyder about establishment of a feeder in Central Park, Mujahid Pervaiz Chattha said that LESCO had taken-over this project as contractor was using delaying tactics. He said that LESCO was only company that had upgraded all grids from 66 KV to 132 KV.

He said that distribution load increased 15 per cent against the expectation of six per cent in 2017, adding that 18 new grid stations had been established and 77 upgraded.

He said that 7000 posts were vacant in LESCO while numbers of consumers had been increased from 2.5 million to 4.6 million.

Almas Hyder suggested that LESCO was a limited company and being run through board of Directors therefore vacant posts should be filled in at the earliest.

The LCCI Senior Vice President Khawaja Shahzad Nasir urged the LESCO Chief to establish a complaint center in Kot Lakhpat Industrial Estate.

He said that issues of new connections and unscheduled load shedding should be resolved immediately.

He said that if maintenance was a prerequisite than it should be done on Sundays only.