KATHMANDU: The Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) on Friday released a white paper outlining the current state of the organization and the status of electricity access across the country.
Executive Director Hitendra Dev Shakya made the white paper public, stating that it aims to present the true picture of the Authority’s operations and challenges.
According to the report, 97.5 percent of municipalities in Nepal have access to electricity. When measured based on household structures, 91.41 percent of the population currently has electricity access.
On a ward-wise basis, the reach stands at 95 percent. As of Magh 2081, electricity meters have been installed in approximately 5.586 million households.
The white paper also revisits a claim made by outgoing Executive Director Kulman Ghising, who had stated at a press conference before his departure that only 58 percent of the population had access to electricity when he first took office. He claimed that the figure had since risen to over 99 percent.
However, the newly appointed Executive Director, Shakya, has contested those numbers. Since assuming leadership, he has accused Ghising of misrepresenting facts and using media for self-promotion.
Meanwhile, the he NEA has disclosed a loss of Rs 5.26 billion, according to its Executive Director, Shakya.
During a press conference organized to present the white paper, Shakya shared the financial details, including the reported loss, which contrasts with the earlier claims by former Executive Director Kulman Ghising, who had stated that the Authority was making a profit of Rs 8 billion.
“We have released this white paper to outline the future plans of the Authority and assess the work carried out during my tenure,” Shakya said. “The white paper was also necessary to evaluate the performance since I assumed the responsibility of Executive Director.”
Shakya also revealed that the Authority’s total liabilities stand at Rs 385 billion. “The government has internal resources of Rs 77.8 billion and long-term loans of Rs 171.4 billion from foreign donor agencies under the government’s guarantee,” he stated. “This accounts for about 39 percent of the total assets. The total liability of the Authority is Rs 385 billion.”
Shakya had previously announced his intention to release a white paper to reveal what he called the “real situation” of the Authority.
Kulman Ghising, who was reappointed for a second term, was removed from his post by the government last month.
In the same cabinet meeting, Shakya was appointed as the new Executive Director of the NEA.
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