Pakistan in Media

Dawn, Pakistan
Thursday, 04 Jun, 2009

SHORT on electricity and long on ineptitude, KESC has consistently failed its consumers since management control was transferred to private hands in November 2005. Since then ‘power riots’ has entered the popular lexicon and the public has been subjected to a regime of loadshedding never witnessed before. Making matters worse, it seemed until very recently that KESC was accountable to no one, not to its consumers who pay through the nose for appalling service nor any public regulator. On this count at least those who approved KESC’s privatisation are equally to blame. KESC was privatised at a time when the corporation appeared to be suffering from problems on every imaginable front: managerial, electricity production, distribution, billing, theft and other inefficiencies. However, even if the government felt at the time that the privatisation of KESC would prevent the situation from deteriorating further, there was clearly no plan of keeping a stringent check on the company’s performance or setting clear, enforceable benchmarks for a better performance. What the government failed to do was to fulfil its role as regulator and to penalise KESC for slipping up and putting the onus of its losses on the consumers.

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Dawn, Pakistan
Monday, 01 Jun, 2009

BLAMING the predecessor was this government’s favoured refrain even after it had been in office for several months. From militancy and the economic meltdown to inflation and the energy crisis, culpability for almost every serious problem was laid at the door of Gen Musharraf and his ‘tailored democracy’. And not without reason, at least not initially. The disaster years in which Musharraf ruled the roost inflicted untold damage on Pakistan. Take the energy sector. Fuelled by a cocktail of US dollars and big business’s traditional soft spot for the ‘stability’ of dictatorship, economic growth went through the roof for a few heady years. Never mind that it was top-heavy and did not benefit the people. Be that as it may, rapid growth coupled with a burgeoning population was bound to increase energy use exponentially. Common sense demanded that urgent steps be taken to boost generation capacity. Did that happen? No. The result: an energy shortfall that has all but crippled the country in recent years.

After months of inaction, however, the new administration’s ‘don’t blame us’ mantra starting ringing hollow and the demand for remedial measures became louder. It now seems that the government is finally looking forward at least where the energy sector is concerned. But the pace of work is hardly commensurate with the task at hand. Action is needed on a war footing but what we are getting instead is a recce here and a training drill there. Time is running out. As the Institute of Cost and Management Accountants of Pakistan pointed out in its budget proposals, the energy crunch must be addressed on a priority basis.

Pakistan’s vast wind power and coal potential needs be tapped at the earliest and with optimal effect. It is estimated by ICMAP that just three run-of-the-river projects can generate as much as 4,000 megawatts. The actual figure if all prospective sites are taken into account is probably higher. Energy derived from biomass also holds great promise in a country where agriculture drives the economy. Solar power is another option but unfortunately the technology is not commercially viable yet though it could be in a few years. In the interim — for such projects will take time even if work commences today — thermal power capacity will have to be enhanced and a concerted effort made to conserve energy. The government must take the lead by using energy-saver bulbs in all state-run buildings, and the same goes for street lights which must be turned off the moment morning breaks. For the time being we can do without parks that are lit up like cricket stadiums. We can turn off lights, televisions and computers in empty rooms and stop keeping remote-controlled gadgets on perpetual standby. Minimal effort can result in tremendous savings if we only give it a try.

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Editorial, Dawn, Pakistan
Saturday, 16 May, 2009

ELECTRICITY consumers have been facing tough times for more than three years now. The increasing duration of loadshedding, coupled with inflated power bills, have done little to bolster the people’s faith in official claims that the government has taken steps to eliminate loadshedding before the end of 2009. A report carried by this newspaper on Friday said the power supply situation in the country was worsening with the rising temperatures. Loadshedding has suddenly jumped to seven to eight hours with daily demand peaking at 14,300 megawatts as air-conditioners are switched on. Compare this demand to the total generation of 11,400 megawatts. Though the current demand–supply gap of 2,900 megawatts remains much below last year’s deficit of 4,400 megawatts because of improved hydel generation, it is feared that the situation could worsen in the coming days and weeks with a further rise in temperatures.

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