The government plans to install smart meters on the transformers of all power distribution companies (DISCOs) to stop electricity theft and overbilling, Federal Minister for Economic Affairs Ahad Cheema said on Tuesday.
Cheema was chairing a meeting in Islamabad on DISCOs. Participants reviewed the development programmes and the progress made by the companies in arranging financing for the smart metering project through the Economic Affairs Division (EAD).
The meeting was told that funding for the project is progressing. The system is intended to improve billing accuracy, reduce theft and protect consumers from overbilling. Cheema said the project will continue after DISCOs are privatised, and that private investors will be required to take it forward.
He said talks with multilateral development partners on ongoing programmes will continue until privatisation is complete. If a DISCO is privatised while talks or preparations are still underway, the related financing and development programmes will pass to the private investor at handover, under agreed arrangements.
Any new project a private investor undertakes within a DISCO must go through competitive bidding and, where applicable, receive approval from the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA), the minister said.
He said privatisation must not impose additional costs or undue pressure on consumers. The government will facilitate the process, protect consumer interests and ensure investors meet their financial and contractual obligations, he added.
Power Minister Sardar Awais Ahmad Khan Leghari, the Prime Minister’s Adviser on Privatisation and senior officials of the relevant ministries also attended the meeting.
