Lahore Electric Supply Company (LESCO) has not authorized Tameer Microfinance Bank along with Telenor to collect electricity bills from its customers through easypaisa shops, LESCO spokesman said that the advertisement given in electronic and print media by Microfinance Bank and Telenor regarding utility bills are not clear and baseless, “No agreement between. LESCO and above-mentioned bank has been executed for collection of electricity bills through easypaisa shops, he added.
The spokesman further said that LESCO is taking the matter with Tameer Microfinance bank to immediately stop collection of electricity bills of LESCO consumers through easypaisa shops. (Source : The Nation)
Telenor is contacted on this story. We are waiting for their response as soon as we have it we will share with viewers.
“Tameer bank is going to have an agreement with LESCO in the coming week and if you get your next month’s bill with arrears, don’t worry and it will be ok, your money is safe”.I am not satisfied because I never checked the stamp at first on my bill that the shopkeeper had put on my bill as I had a trust on the company but today I checked the stamp it was ridiculous, the stamp was telling that I had paid a bill of December 2009 whereas I paid the bill of October 2009.I asked this to the guy representing Tameer Bank and he told, “You must go back and get the stamp changed”. Well, it is pinching, that if Tameer Bank tries to clear my amount in the next month or they are able enter into an agreement with the LESCO; even then my bill will not be paid because a wrong stamp by shopkeeper had completely changed my transaction from the very instance I paid him. I again say, the service is no doubt a good activity by why Telenor found it necessary to deceive people of Pakistan when they did not have the proper arrangements. Telenor people say that whenever a service is launched there are always glitches, but I say, why it always happens. The company was conducting test exercise for the last one month that means it was collecting money from their employees and the entire network of shopkeepers without any legal standing?
Initially list was as following, marked as red are no more in the list mentioned on the telenor website:
1. PTCL (Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited)
2. SSGC (Sui Southern Gas Company)
3. SNGPL (Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Ltd)
4. KESC (Karachi Electric Supply Company)
5. IESCO (Islamabad Electric Supply Company)
6. GEPCO (Gujranwala Electric Power Company)
7. LESCO (Lahore Electric Supply Company)
8. HESCO (Hyderabad Electric Supply Company)
New list is available here: http://www.easypaisa.com.pk/products.php
Lahore is a population of over 10 Million and if 5% of the population trusted Telenor and paid their electricity bills in the month of October, we can expect a huge amount of money that the company/bank collected on LESCOs’ behalf. Why Telenor and Tameer Bank spent Millions of Ruppees on marketing and advertisement at a very immature stage when they knew it from the very first day that it is not going to work. I ask them, isn’t it a foul play or if I used a little technical language, it may be called a fraud or financial scam. It is always the right of customer to know before what he pays and what for? State Bank, PTA and all the concerned authorities must take these kinds of things very seriously because it may please few people to see that how speedily Pakistan is forwarding towards Mobile Banking but there has to be a proper frame work and guidelines before any activity.
