ISLAMABAD – Almost on the verge of a financial collapse, WAPDA has to recover Rs 210 billion from defaulters, with an estimated Rs 83 billion outstanding against various government departments and Rs 127 billion yet to be cleared by the private sector.
In a written reply, the Ministry of Water and Power told Senate on Thursday that WAPDA had to recover Rs 18,127 million from Punjab, Rs 15,247 million from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and FATA, Rs 36,669 million from Sindh and Rs 13,478 million from Balochistan.
In the private sector, WAPDA had outstanding dues of Rs 39,404 million in Punjab, 38,918 in KP and FATA, 30,936 million in Sindh and Rs 18,002 million in Balochistan.
“The Finance Division joint secretary, the government of Pakistan, Islamabad and FATA additional chief secretary are kept informed on a monthly basis about the billing and the amount required to be paid by the departments concerned,” the ministry said in the written reply, explaining the steps taken by PEPCO to recover the outstanding dues.
The ministry said provincial finance secretaries were being pursued for the recovery of outstanding dues against major defaulting departments of respective governments.
“An incentive for the waiver of late payment surcharge has been offered to government departments if they clear the outstanding dues by June 30, 2011,” said the ministry. To another reply, the ministry told the House that the average increase in electricity tariff during the last three years was Rs 2.51/kWh.
The Upper House was told that circular debt of PSO was Rs 166 billion.
“WAPDA owes Rs 43 billion to PSO, HUBCO Rs 74 billion, KEPCO Rs 33 billion, KESC Rs 2 billion, while PSO has to recover Rs 13 billion in the head of PDCs from the government of Pakistan,” the Ministry of Petroleum said in a written reply.
Minister for Water and Power Syed Naveed Qamar said in response to a question that work was underway on various projects to enhance power generation and overcome line losses. He said work on Dia Mir Basha Dam had also been launched, which would be completed at a cost of Rs 894 billion.
Qamar said efforts were also underway to enhance oil and gas production, however, no major discovery had been made during the last three years.
He said oil and gas had been explored at thirty-one points, of which 16 wells had started production.
To a question, he said the government had collected Rs 48 billion through petroleum levy during the first half of the current financial year.
The Minister said gas had been provided to eighty villages in Balochistan during the last two years, while work was underway to provide gas to another 19 villages.
