KE investing Rs15bn to improve power infrastructure: Chishti

K-Electric plans to spend Rs15 billion on upgrading its power network for Karachi's industrial customers, Business Recorder reported. Board Chairman Shaheryar Chishti told industrialists at a visit to the Korangi Association of Trade and Industry that the outlay will fund new cables, grid upgrades and the splitting of feeders. He described industry as central to the city's jobs and economic activity, and said manufacturers are among the utility's best customers.

CEO Syed Muhammad Taha said newer technologies, feeders and smart metering are being brought in to tackle power-quality problems in industrial zones, some linked to nearby housing. The utility now operates more than 2,100 feeders, and over 70 percent of them are shielded from load shedding. Chishti added that industrial consumers have not faced load shedding since 2013, while Taha stressed that tariff decisions lie outside the company's authority.

Industry bodies, however, pressed for relief on costs. The association's president Muhammad Ikram Rajput welcomed the investment but urged a review of industrial tariffs and capacity payments, while standing committee chairman Danish Khan cited regional rates of about 8 cents per unit against roughly 14 cents in Pakistan. Vice Chairman Rehan Javed said each unit carries a Rs20.56 debt burden, of which Rs17.33 is capacity payment.