KABUL (SW): The Independent Joint Anti-Corruption Monitoring and Evaluation Committee (MEC) has stated that in some instances, the power utility Da Afghanistan Breshna Sherkat ( DABS) has billed its customers against estimates, rather than proper meter readings.
The MEC released a vulnerability to corruption assessment report regarding (DABS) in Kabul. This report covered the legal structure, corporate governance, anti-corruption policy, power distribution, financial management and customer’s complaints handling mechanisms.
Jawed Noorani, member of the MEC, said on the occasion that the number of staff employed by the DABS means each meter reader shall note at least 400 meters a day, which sounds impossible. He said corruption exists in this regard, and customers are compelled to pay bribes to get three-phase power connections. He highlighted that the line-losses are also around 38 per cent while as in Pakistan and Iran they are around 17 and 14 per cent respectively.
The latest study is based on interviews with 380 customers and 138 DABS employees in Kabul, Balkh, Nangarhar, Kandahar, Herat, Bamyan and Parwan provinces.
Meanwhile, Waheedullah Tawhidi, spokesman for the DABS, has discarded these allegations. In conversation with Salam Watandar, he said there is, however, a possibility that some employees might be estimating rather than proper meter reading.
ENDS
