Govt to audit Discos to identify causes of power theft, technical and commercial losses
ISLAMABAD: The government on Wednesday decided to conduct a comprehensive technical audit of all former Wapda distribution companies (Discos) to determine the actual scale, causes and geographical concentration of power theft, as well as technical and commercial losses. The decision was taken at a meeting of a special committee constituted by the prime minister on Inefficiencies and Electricity…
The Pakistani government has announced plans to conduct a thorough technical audit of former Wapda distribution companies, or Discos, to pinpoint the root causes and extent of power theft and technical/commercial losses. This decision came during a special committee meeting chaired by Prime Minister-designate, Ahad Cheema, and Power Division Minister, Sardar Awais Ahmad Khan Leghari.
The committee was briefed by various institutions on power theft, distribution losses, recovery rates, and potential technological solutions to address the issues.
The Information Technology ministry was tasked with providing technical assistance for the audit through a transparent and credible mechanism. The terms of reference for the audit are expected to be finalized within a week. The committee also discussed the benefits of implementing an Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) system, which will be expedited even in Discos slated for privatization.
The government is committed to identifying the underlying causes of power theft and losses and developing targeted solutions to curb the problem.
The IT ministry will foster collaborations with the relevant institutions to ensure a credible implementation of the audit. The committee reviewed progress made on addressing overbilling and emphasized the importance of maintaining consumer trust by not shifting the burden of power theft onto them. Additionally, the committee examined incentive-based solarisation pilot projects, aimed at reducing pressure on the electricity network through renewable energy solutions and tackling high theft and line-loss rates in Peshawar and Quetta Electric Supply Companies (Pesco and Qesco).
The committee concluded by expressing satisfaction with the improved recovery performance of Discos and committed to sustaining this momentum through enhanced governance, monitoring, and technology-driven reforms.
Written by urgent.news from Dawn Business's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
