(09 October, 2015)
Pakistan Businessmen and Intellectuals Forum (PBIF) on Friday said power sector losses have emerged as a great threat to society and economy therefore a plan is need to contain it immediately.
Power sector losses amounts to Rs 360 billion per annum resulting in deficit which is bridged through IMF loans while repayment requires upward revision of tariff which is against the national interests as it has resulted in minimized usage of electricity, said PBIF President and former provincial minister Mian Zahid Hussain.
In a statement issued here today, he said that there is not a single country in the world which progressed or reduced poverty while using less electricity than required.
There are 1.3 billion people on earth living without electricity while the number of people facing supply disruptions are more than that.
Mian Zahid Hussain said that according to available data of the World Bank, per capita consumption in Pakistan stands at 449.25 kilowatt hours (kWh) while an average American consumes 13240 kWh which is almost 29 times more than what is used here.
The income of an average Pakistani has not increased since 2011 while tariff of electricity has been increased which is a threat to peace, employment, health, education, society and economy.
According to World Banks there is no country in the world with per capital income over 10,000 dollars where per capita usage of power is less than 3380 KWh.
Mian Zahid Hussain said that an average person in UK consumes eight times more electricity than in Pakistan but over ninety universities there are awarding degrees in energy, alternate energy and sustainable energy which indicates there attention to the issue which here it is not considered a subject.
Providing 3880 KWh to a person per year in developing nations would require a 60 percent jump in the global electricity production.
He said that per capita consumption of electricity in EU is 2.3 times more than the global average and 2.8 times more than what is consumed in China.
The power consumption in Sweden, Norway, Finland, Luxembourg and Iceland is more that the average US consumption therefore the standard of living in these states in a dream for an American, he said.
