Govt urged to establish e-portal for new power connections

LAHORE: In order to facilitate industrial sector, the Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) has urged the government to establish an e-portal for the new connections and other services, which would bring the much-needed efficiency in the industrial activities.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, LCCI President Sheikh Muhammad Arshad, Senior Vice President Almas Hyder and Vice President Nasir Saeed said that the procedure of new electricity connections for industry is too much cumbersome and takes an average 178.3 days as compared to Korea where businessmen can get electricity connection in only 18 days.

They said that the proposed e-portal would provide the facility of not only submission of applications, but submission of all relevant documents online.

They said that this e-portal should be integrated with the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP), Land Record Management Information System (LRMIS) and the National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra) database for the verification of the company’s information.

The LCCI office-bearers also suggested that this e-portal should also collect fee online through online banking. After submission of verified safety inspection report, demand notice should be generated through e-portal, they said.  The LCCI office-bearers said that currently, internal wiring inspection is being conducted through electric inspector, Punjab.

LESCO should accept the internal wiring report of the private certified and registered contractors, they said, adding that the electric inspector should be able to submit the internal wiring report on this e-portal within 10 days.

All infrastructure cost up to the point of connection should be borne by the government / LESCO.  They said that the establishment of one-portal will enable the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) to collect all the required information and disseminate to all the concerned federal / provincial government departments through an online portal.

However, registration with each department should be made need-based.

The one-portal will also enable the SECP take a one-time lump sum payment in their online bank account, which can then be transferred to the account of the relevant federal / provincial government departments.

The LCCI office-bearers said that such initiatives would not only pave the way to become at par with the developed countries, but are also direly needed to improve the Pakistan’s ease of doing business ranking, which is deteriorating every year and has reached from 75 in 2010 to 138 in 2015.