At a time when the country is facing economic crunch, cutting down on expense at the state level is surely needed. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had introduced austerity measures earlier in the year, but they were not enforced wholeheartedly. Now the Public Accounts Committee has asked the Power Division to discontinue the free electricity facility extended to government employees from grades 16 to 22. With this, the government can save Rs9 billion per annum. While reviewing the Audit Report 2021-22 of the Ministry of Energy and its attached entities, PAC Chairman Noor Alam Khan came up with the decision to curtail electricity expense. He said he would write to the prime minister, seeking his support in implementing the decision. The committee was of the view that it was high time such facilities were withdrawn. “Gone are the days of these individuals living like royals. If parliamentarians pay electricity bills out of their own pockets, the facility of free electricity should be discontinued for judges and generals alike,” the PAC chairman remarked.
The committee was informed by the energy secretary that power losses would top Rs590 billion this fiscal year. The factors contributing to the losses were line losses, electricity theft and failure to pay ebills. Mr Alam pointed it out that the major part of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) loan was consumed by the energy sector. He also demanded that Departmental Accounts Committee meetings should be held and inquiries carried out against officials involved in corrupt practices. He wanted the inquiries to be completed within two weeks.
A number of irregularities were detected from the audit paras, which include irregular award of contracts due to defective bid evaluation in National Transmission and Dispatch Company worth Rs23 billion, power theft losses amounting to Rs2.81 billion in Lesco, Pesco, Qesco and Sepco, false reporting of bills by revenue officers worth Rs1.2 billion and blockage of funds due to irrelevant procurement of electric equipment worth over Rs1 billion. The PAC order is based on reality. Facilities that amount to luxuries are unaffordable for a country that is on the verge of bankruptcy.
The prime minister’s austerity plan, if implemented in letter and spirit, can also save considerable revenue. But, who is going to enforce these measures, that too on people who cannot survive without them. The protocol that comes with their positions is ingrained in them. It would take immense sacrifice on their part to let go of the facilities. Most of the cabinet colleagues and senior government officers paid no heed to the austerity drive. This was pointed out at a meeting of the monitoring committee on implementation of austerity measures. The meeting was informed that more than half of the luxury vehicles given to cabinet members, parliamentary secretaries and chairmen of standing committees had not been returned to the cabinet division. Same was the case with many senior bureaucrats who were also using official sports utility vehicles and sedan cars. It is high time that we trimmed down the perks associated with government jobs. Austerity measures need to be followed by the top if we want those below to follow suit.
