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Report |
| The system loss in power sector has reduced at a snail’s pace by around 9 per cent in the last five years, but the amount of unrealized electricity bills has increased by 40 per cent during the period. The overall system loss, caused by pilferage and technical glitches, which was 28.80 per cent by the end of 2001, now stands at around 20 per cent. On the other hand, various private, government and semi-government organisations owed around Tk 2,500 crore in 2001 to different power agencies which increased to about Tk 3,500 crore till October. The system loss of the Power Development Board, which was 24.50 per cent in 2001, came down to 17.50 per cent in October 2006 and that of the Rural Electrification Board to 13.90 per cent from nearly 17 per cent. The Dhaka Electric Supply Authority’s system loss went down to 19.90 per cent in October from 29.71 per cent in 2001. The system loss of the Dhaka Electric Supply Company, which was 26.66 per cent in 2001, came down to around 16 per cent in October. The system loss of the West Zone Power Distribution Company, which started operation in the fiscal 2004-05, stood at 16.50 per cent in October. At present, different private, government and semi-government organisations owe at around Tk 1400 crore to DESA, Tk 250 crore to DESCO, Tk 375 crore to REB, Tk 823 crore to PDB while Tk 259 crore to WZPDC. Sources in different power agencies alleged that the actual system loss in the power sector might be more than what was in paper. Many ‘fake’ bills were made to show that the system loss has decreased, they added saying that as a result, unpaid electricity bills increased. ‘The bills might never be realised as these are false bills created against false names to show that the power pilferage has decreased,’ said a DESA source. The source said on average 10,000 fake power bills have been made especially in Old Town in Dhaka and the Narayanganj-Fatulla industrial belt per month to conceal power pilferage. Although the officials of the Power Division admitted that some fake bills are made to conceal power pilferage, they defended that the reduction of system loss was ‘genuine’. According to power officials, the annual revenue earnings of the power agencies stand at around Tk 9,000 crore while the earnings were around Tk 5,000 crore in 2001. |
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Copyright © Energy & Power 2003 • Editor: Mollah Amzad Hossain • Eastern Trade Center • Room 509 • 56, Inner Circular Road • Dhaka 1000 • Tel: +880-2-835 4532 |