KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has authorized Sindh Revenue Board (SRB) to collect electricity duty from power distribution companies from next financial year and also approved appointment of a well-reputed auditor to audit and reconcile the accounts for previous years.
He took this decision on Friday while presiding over a meeting here at CM House. The meeting was attended by Minister Energy Imtiaz Shaikh, Principal Secretary to CM Sajid Jamal Abro, Secretary Finance Najam Shah, Secretary Energy Musadiq Khan, secretary Local Government Khalid Hyder Shah, and other concerned officers.
The chief minister worked out the units the K-Electric billed the consumers during 2015-16 and calculated an amount of Rs2.4 billion have collected under Electricity Duty on behalf of Sindh government and this amount must have increased in subsequent years till this year. “But, we have not received a single penny so far,” he said.
He also directed Energy Minister to appoint an auditor to audit the accounts of the power distribution companies, K-E, Hesco and SEPCO to work out the amount they have to pay to Sindh government.
The chief minister also constituted a three-member committee comprising Minister Energy Imtiaz Shaikh, Secretary Energy Musadiq Khan, and Secretary Finance Najam Shah to hold a meeting with Governor State Bank and request him to direct commercial banks accepting electricity bills to deposit Electricity Duty directly in Sindh government’s account. Meanwhile, SRB after amendment in its law would deal it directly with powers distribution companies.