Institutional Support of NRSP for Mainstreaming CBDRM And Capacity Building of AJK Communities for Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR)

The project is being implemented with support from the American People through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). The baseline perception survey report was conducted in the urban and rural areas of Gujranwala district to assess the issues related to the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) regulatory environment and citizens' perception regarding GEPCO service delivery. The survey was conducted in Rahwali (urban tehsil) and Badhoki (rural tehsil) areas of Gujranwala district, with a total of 200 respondents interviewed, 100 each from both targeted areas. The respondents were mixed from individuals/household consumers, commercial, and industrial sectors. The survey included both open-ended and close-ended questions, covering behavior/experience, opinion/belief, feelings, knowledge, sensory, and background/demography. The survey analysis showed that the majority of consumers in both urban and rural areas are low electricity users. In urban areas, 68% of connections are domestic, 18% are commercial, and 14% are industrial, while in rural areas, 83% connections are domestic, 11% are commercial, and 6% are agricultural. The type of connection also varied, with 41% of surveyed connections in urban areas being single phase, 6% being three phase, and 3% having no knowledge about their type of connection. The survey also focused on consumer satisfaction levels, including billing procedures, GEPCO complaint redressal mechanism, new meter connection, and GEPCO working conditions. The results showed that 24% of rural and 48% of urban people say that they were facilitated by GEPCO on processing of new connection, while 56% rural and 36% urban people say that they were not facilitated. The survey also showed that about 30% of rural and 53% of urban people say that they were provided with the connection timely, while 52% of rural and 33% of urban people were not provided with the connection timely. The survey analysis also showed that 20% of rural and 49% of urban people are satisfied with the price estimation as per demand notice, while 58% of rural and 35% of urban people are not satisfied. Additionally, 24% of rural and 60% of urban people say that they did specify/worked out their energy demand, while 71% of rural and 40% of urban people do not agree with them. The survey findings were shared with all key stakeholders, and the results helped to identify the issues that are hampering the smooth and sustained supply of electricity as per defined quality parameters. The identification of knowledge gaps among citizens and civil society organizations was also beneficial in organizing knowledge-sharing seminars for members of CSOs and citizens and formalizing recommendations for policy dialogues with service providers and other relevant supply-side stakeholders. The survey results highlighted the need for GEPCO officials to develop a customer-friendly attitude and treat consumers equally, irrespective of their background. The results also emphasized the importance of facilitating consumers at the time of new connections and providing timely connections. Overall, the survey provided valuable insights into the issues related to GEPCO service delivery and the regulatory environment in Pakistan, which can be used to inform policy and program interventions to improve service delivery and enhance citizens' voice and accountability.