Outstanding arrears put Wasa into crisis

By Ali Raza
December 07, 2022

LAHORE:Outstanding arrears of various departments of Punjab and federal governments towards Water and Sanitation Agency (Wasa) have soared to Rs1,411,683,068 causing a financial crisis for the agency.

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Figures collected from Wasa revealed that the total outstanding arrears towards different departments of Punjab are Rs 976,491,403 while the arrears towards departments of federal government are Rs 435,191,665.

To recover these outstanding arrears, Wasa wrote letters to almost every department besides sending reminders but in vain. Following these outstanding arrears, Wasa is facing shortage of funds, which is affecting the ongoing projects of the agency as well as disturbing its balance of payments.

As per the data of the arrears pending towards Punjab government’s departments, Rs102,810,494 is pending towards Education Department, Health Department (Rs 91,149,961), HUD&PHED (Rs 83,624,731), P&D (Rs 5,200,000), Police Department (Rs 27,984,314), Punjab Food Authority (Rs 1,800), Transport Department (Rs 7,307,249), Punjab Forensic Science Agency (Rs 375,000), Wildlife & Parks (Rs 1,062,448), Agriculture & Livestock (Rs 5,007,320), Bureau of Statistics (Rs 175,000), CDGL (Rs 154,001,442), PHA (Rs 288,599,666), Auqaf Department (Rs 18,837,827), Forest Department (Rs 396,647), Industrial Department (Rs 2,491,209), Archeology Department (Rs 473,000), Social Security Department (Rs 130,000), MCL (Rs 3,517,400), Child Welfare Bureau (Rs 3,985,910), Excise and Taxation (Rs 103,171), Lahore Development Authority (Rs 3,409), NESPAK (Rs 91,367), Tourism Department (Rs2,089), Old Age Benefit Department (Rs 685), Labor Welfare Department (Rs 16,763), PAF Falcon Complex (Rs 55,091,930), Board of Revenue (Rs 2,881,245), Civil Defence (Rs 1,861,219), Environment Protection Department (Rs 1,467,350), FIA (Rs 52,672), Finance Department (Rs 6,255), Fisheries Department (Rs 3,470,508), Lahore High Court (Rs 237,500), HEC (Rs 7,522), National Highway Authority (Rs 2,044,846), Irrigation Department (Rs 7,211,683), Lahore Art Council (Rs 684,997), LESCO (Rs 154,960), LWMC (Rs 50,000), Pakistan Hockey Federation (Rs 5,318,965). Pakistan Cricket Board (Rs 34,913), PPSC (Rs 345,996), PTCL (Rs 20,876), Public Relation Department (Rs 223,155), Public Works Department (Rs 70,526,624), Punjab Institute of Language & Arts (Rs 1,648,001), S&GAD (Rs 22,550,294), Sports Board (Rs 3,170,045), Water & Power Development (Rs 68,445) and WAPDA (Rs 12,500).

As per the data, outstanding receivables of Wasa against federal government departments till November 2022 are Agriculture Department (Rs 992,600), Finance Department (Rs 1,128,700), Health Department (Rs 2,550,000), WAPDA (Rs 38,037,885), NADRA (Rs 8,878), National Highway Authority (Rs 638,000), Railway (Rs 305,359,600), LESCO (Rs 40,990), SNGPL (Rs 555,000), National Museum (Rs 160,643), Police (Rs 2,858,698), T & T (Rs 39,352), Post office (Rs 9,351), State Bank (Rs 135,889), Ministry of Commerce (Rs 3,119), PITAC (Rs 3,119), Export Promotion Bureau (Rs 3,119), Immigration & Passport (Rs 3,119), N.T.C Department (Rs 3,119), Civil Defence (Rs 6,239), Military Accounts (Rs 50,040), S&GAD (Rs 15,365,240), PTCL (Rs 20,876), PTV (Rs 62,500), Public Works Department (Rs 34,564,059), FIA (Rs 42,205), Excise & Taxation (Rs 870,730), Civil Aviation (Rs 15,718,338), Board of Revenue (Rs 15,297,757) and Housing Department (Rs 662,500). WASA Managing Director Ghafran Ahmed while talking to The News said that Wasa has written repeatedly to the departments concerned as well as the federal and provincial governments for recovery of the outstanding arrears. He said Wasa was facing a financial crisis due to these soaring outstanding arrears. He said the agency has also started a recovery drive of outstanding arrears from private housing societies and successfully recovered over Rs 100 million. He said the drive against private housing societies will continue while the agency will also continue to send reminders to the government departments for recovery of the arrears. He warned all the private housing societies to immediately pay their outstanding amounts otherwise be ready for disconnection. He concluded that sewerage connections of several private housing societies were already disconnected and the agency will only restore them after clearance of the outstanding arrears.

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