Kulman Ghising, the newly appointed Energy Minister, has made recovering unpaid dues from industries using dedicated and trunk lines his top priority. According to the Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA), around Rs 7 billion is still unpaid by 28 industrial users.
Kulman Ghising Sets Recovery of Industrial Dues as Top Priority
When Kulman Ghising was the Managing Director of NEA, he had already tried to collect dues from industries. Some industries had not paid their bills for a long time. Ghising even cut power to a few industries to enforce payments. At that time, the government demanded clarifications and eventually removed Ghising from his post. Despite this, he has always insisted on collecting all dues.
Dispute Over Dedicated and Trunk Lines Resurfaces
The industries agreed to pay, but they demanded that NEA issue bills based on Time-of-Day (ToD) meters. NEA could not provide such bills, which caused disagreements. The government had formed a commission under former Supreme Court Justice Girish Chandra Lal to solve the issue. However, differences remained over how the report was implemented. Now, with Ghising as Energy Minister, this long-standing dispute is likely to return to the spotlight.
Strong Approach to Revenue Collection Expected
Experts say that Kulman Ghising’s return indicates a strict approach to revenue collection and financial discipline. Recovering dues is not just about money; it is about maintaining accountability and transparency in Nepal’s power sector. Industrialists are expected to cooperate, but enforcement actions may be necessary.
Impact on Industries and NEA Operations by Kulman Ghising
Kulman Ghising could bring clarity and discipline to the NEA and ensure that the NEA recovers unpaid dues while industries follow proper billing standards. The move may also improve NEA’s financial health, enabling better service delivery and infrastructure development across Nepal.
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