Dues payment for reconnection

WAPDA extends date for incentive package to June

Staff Report

LAHORE: The Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) on Sunday extended the last date of the incentive package to 30 June 2003.

An official statement issued here said under the incentive package, all industries except the seasonal ones would benefit from the package. It said the package would help them clear their arrears as per provisions, enabling them to get their electricity connection restored.

The seasonal industries with outstanding dues seeking reconnection under this package will have to clear all their arrears before restoration of their connection. The industrial units lying disconnected for six months or more could pay 25 per cent of their total arrears as down payment on or before 30 June 2003, whereupon their connection will be restored subject to reconnection policy of 11 October 1999 in vogue and exemption of payment of minimum fixed charges. This exemption will also be available to consumers who do not owe any arrears.

It said the arrears outstanding against industrial units seeking reconnection under this incentive package would be recovered in not more than 12 installments. The distribution companies’ chief executives were empowered to decide on the number of installments irrespective of the number of months.

The consumers applying for reconnection within five years of the disconnection date would be given relief for the cost they had already paid less depreciation. Only the differential cost would be charged for reconnection. The depreciation value will be calculated on the basis of 10 years’ useful life of connection equipment. The consumers seeking reconnection would pay 50 per cent of additional security deposits as down payment before reconnection and the balance 50 per cent in installments will be payable by 30 June 2003, provided their existing sanctioned load remained unchanged.

However, this relief will not be available to the industries where electricity is used as indigenous raw material such as arc furnace, ginning factories and other seasonal industries. The mark-up will be payable on payment of arrears in installments as per
bank rates.

Any industrial unit benefiting from this package on defaulting in payment of the current monthly bill or the installment amount will be disconnected without giving any notice to this effect required under the normal practice and thereafter will not be entitled to re-avail this incentive package. An undertaking to the above conditions will be a requisite before restoration of connection. Ten per cent rebate will also be given on minimum of 25 per cent increase in the energy units’ consumption of a billing month gained on existing load and not through extension in load as compared to the average consumption for three months of the previous year.

“The average consumption will be calculated by taking the corresponding, preceding and succeeding months of the last year. The rebate will be admissible only on the variable charges based on increased consumption and not on fixed charges such as hydel surcharge, electricity duty, income tax and GST. Ten per cent incentive per annum will also be available to consumers who make advanced payment, in addition to normal consumption equivalent to average bill for a period of three months, adjustable against future monthly bills. The scheme for installation of TOD meters has also been introduced for B-3 and B-4 categories of industrial connections,” said the statement. The concerned DisCo chief executive officer would be a final authority in all cases. In case the dispute is not resolved at DisCos level, general manager (Customer Services) WAPDA would be the final authority.

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