Blatant waste

A few days ago I was visiting a CSD shop. I noticed that the shop had a number of air conditioners that were constantly operating while all the doors and windows of the shop were kept open. Seeing such waste of electricity, I asked the workers at the shop why they were not worried about such waste. What they told me shocked and worried me even more. They claimed that, since they were getting a heavily subsidised rate for their electricity use, they did not need to worry about closing the doors and windows. I can understand why the government may not want to charge any tax or surcharge on electricity used by government organisations. However, if the workers were indeed being honest, this example shows how such policies can lead to excessive waste and pilferage.

This problem has been discussed many times and, almost every time, the government has promised to have a uniform electricity rate and end all subsidises. But, as this example shows, the subsidies are possibly still available to many people in Pakistan. It is therefore requested that the government end such subsidises on utilities for anyone and instruct the workers of every government organisation to end or at least limit wastage of utilities. The AG office should also audit the utilities costs of government organisations and help them reduce these costs each year.

Engr Shahryar Khan Baseer

Islamabad