Lesco fails to recover Rs1.8bn of December bill

Monday, February 16, 2009

By Jawwad Rizvi

LAHORE: Lahore Electricity Supply Company (Lesco) failed to meet the target of recovering Rs 8.4878 billion in December and collected Rs 6.6860 billion from its billing amount. The Lesco had not recovered Rs 1.8018 billion from different government and private institutions during the month of December which is 20 per cent below the actual billing amount. The recovery position from the government institutions remained poor in the month. According to the official figures available to The News, the Lesco had failed to recover even 50 per cent billing amount from the public institutions. The company has issued Rs 641.1 million bills to the public sector customers and it had recovered only Rs 301 million only.The company has recovered Rs 183.5 million from billing amount of Rs 240 million in Gulshan Ravi Division, Rs 386.8 million from Rs 452.4 million in Ferozewala Division, Rs 199.8 million from Rs 251 million in Ravi Road Division, Rs 179.7 million from Rs 226.3 million in Data Darbar Division, Rs 195.7 million from Rs 246.1 million in Badami Bagh Division, Rs 374.3 million from Rs 488.4 million in Township Division, Rs 179.9 million from Rs 224.4 million in Raiwind Division, Rs 323.5 million from Rs 414.3 million in Allama Iqbal Town Division, Rs 169 million from Rs 224.9 million in Samanabad Division, Rs 228.3 million from Rs 325.7 million in Civil Lines Division, Rs 240.4 million from Rs 302.6 million in Shalimar Division, Rs 224.3 million from Rs 281 million in McLeod Road Division, Rs 316.2 million from Rs 376.3 million in Baghbanpura Division, Rs 183.4 million from Rs 236.9 million in Mughalpura Division, Rs 485.1 million from Rs 578.2 million in Gulberg Division, Rs 332.7 million from Rs 420.3 million in Defence Road Division and Rs 194.2 million from Rs 243.7 million in Ferozepur Road Division. A senior official of the Pakistan Electric Power Company (PEPCO) disclosed that the company has issued instructions to all the distribution companies to gear-up their recovery campaign and ensure their all outstanding dues against their customers should be cleared before June 2009. He said the Advisor to Prime Minister for Finance Shaukat Tareen has instructed the PEPCO officials in a recent meeting to clear Rs 39 billion outstanding before June 2009 so that the PEPCO has asked the DISCOs to gear up the recovery campaign and not make instalments in current billing and also recovered the previous amount without any discrimination. He further said the recovery position of December is relatively improved from the past months of all the DISCOs and hoped that the DISCOS would further improve it after the instructions of the PEPCO.