ISLAMABAD - National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (Nepra) has announced that the losses of Quetta Electric Supply Company would be reassessed from 15 percent to 18 percent for the year 2013-14.
The decision was made on the review application of Qesco filed on February 2014, against the authority’s decision pertaining to the determination of consumer end tariff for year 2013-14. The company plead that the company has high maintenance and distribution charges due to long network, scattered at a vast area. It also submitted that maintenance work on two 220 KV transmission lines which are Dadu-Khuzdar and DG Khan-Loralai is in progress, which also increased the costs.
It was further stated that after the completion of above two transmission lines the technical losses would decrease accordingly. Qesco stated that law and order situation in Balochistan was creating hurdles in collection and control of losses.
Nepra in its decision said that law and order cushion must be allowed to the petitioner, (Qesco), hence the transmission and distribution losses would be now assessed at 18 percent.
In earlier decision the transmission and distribution losses were kept at 15 percent. Announcing the decision on review application of Mepco the authority observed that petitioner failed to provide any additional or new evidence in support of its reconsideration request except repair and maintenance expense 2013-14. Mepco in its application stated to review authority’s January 2014 decision regarding wheeling charges, distribution margins, amount of Wapda pensioners and sales mix.
The petitioner submitted that it has requested salaries wages and benefits Rs 9529 million whereas authority only allowed Rs 6322 million. It also claimed that its one employee is serving highest number of customers among all Discos and at the same time maintaining longest technical network, which is second longest after Qesco. It also requested to allow Rs398 million for new recruitment during 2013-14, against the present allocation of Rs268 million. Mepco also requested increase in post retirement benefits for its employees and maintenance expense. The authority declined review application of Hyderabad Electric Supply Company stating that there were no sufficient grounds justifying the modification.