Islamabad:

The Power Division officials on Wednesday announced the National Assembly Standing Committee on Energy, who met with committee chairman Muhammad Idrees in the chairman that they were working to provide interest-free loans to change pipe wells to solar energy.

The Power Division Secretary also informed the committee that the authorities were in negotiations with the IMF on reduction in the tax on the electricity bills. Currently, he added, RS 800 to 900 billion taxes were collected from electricity bills alone.

The committee discussed various issues regarding generation costs and invoicing to consumers. The meeting was informed that power production from imported carbon cost RS16 per year. Unit, while local carbon costs RS4 per unit. Unit.

During the meeting, committee member Rana Muhammad Hayat pointed out that the electricity bills and expenses for Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) had increased in the last four years. He asked the official about the cheaper sources of power production

At this, officials in the power department replied that the cost of electricity from local coal would be RS4 per year. Unit. “Currently, the cost of electricity from imported coal rs16 per unit and the cost of generating electricity from oil is RS30 to 32 per unit,” the answer said.

Another committee member Syed Mustafa Kamal raised the question of any plan to switch to coal -based plants after closing hydroelectric (hydel) and thermal projects. “What will be the plan if there is a problem with coal -based plants in the future,” he asked.

The Power Division Secretary said the department was working on forecast for power plants for the next 10 years, adding that many of the oil-fired power plants would be closed for the next three years. “We can create coal factories for a short period of time,” the secretary states.

Malik Anwar Taj asked about the planning to put underground electric cables to reduce theft and loss. He pointed out that Islamabad sustained less loss and theft -cases due to the underground cables. However, the secretary emphasized that it was not the complete solution to these problems.

Kamal emphasized the need to break the monopoly on the power tool and said that K-electric was privatized, but its monopoly over the distribution of power in Karachi remained intact, so the people were forced to buy only electricity from K-Electric. People should have the opportunity to switch to other tools, he suggested.

The secretary agreed with the legislature and told the committee that the Power Division was working on the plan to create a free electricity market. “Consumers will be able to buy electricity from any business they want,” he said.

“Very soon, electric consumers will also be able to read their own meters. We are working to develop mobile apps for all discos [Distribution Companies] And consumers will be able to take a picture of the meter’s reading story from their cell phones and send it, ”he added.

The meeting formed a subcommittee to investigate the issue of 7.8 million additional units for consumers of Lahore Electric Supply Company (Lesco) consumers. Officials said 800,000 meters had been replaced in Islamabad, while another 1.2 million meters would be replaced by smart meters.