USAID holds commercial procedures optimization workshop for Power Distribution Companies (DISCOs)

Islamabad, September 7, 2011 (INFN): USAID Power Distribution Improvement Program (PDIP) today kicked off a set of training workshops aimed at improving the commercial procedures and efficiency of power distribution companies (DISCOs). The topics under discussion would include the “Meter Reading Process” and “Meter Change Process” and finding ways to bring improvements to DISCOs’ existing procedures by streamlining the flow of documents and eliminating redundancies without compromising transparency and accountability.

PDIP has been actively involved with similar trainings of the DISCO staff in various areas of need, including IT training program active in eight cities that will complete training of 500 DISCO professionals in September.

“Improved commercial procedures and understanding of the benefits of adherence to them can lead to better utilization and that will provide improved revenue, reduced non-technical losses and increased customer satisfaction for the DISCO” Dick Dumford, Chief of Party of the USAID Power Distribution Improvement Program said on the occasion “The objective of PDIP is to assist DISCOs in bringing improvements in their work which can be only possible if they consistently and constantly build capacity of staff and adopting modern utility practices.”

These trainings are organized as part of the U.S. commitment to support the Government of Pakistan in reforming the energy sector and improving the performance of DISCOs. The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) implements these assistance programs, which also support completion of dams, renovation of power plants, and introduction of more efficient technologies to reduce energy use in the agriculture sector.

MWP-USAID Power Distribution Improvement Program (PDIP) is a three-year, USAID-funded program aimed at working jointly with government-owned electric power Distribution Companies(DISCOs) in Pakistan to improve their performance in terms of reduction in losses, and improvement in revenues and customer services, to bring them to a level of well-run utilities as in other progressive countries. Through this program, the United States Government provides assistance and support to the Government of Pakistan (GOP) in its efforts to reform the power sector to end the current energy crisis.