PESHAWAR: The National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) has approved to increase electricity tariff by Rs3.10 per unit in terms of monthly Fuel Price Adjustment (FPA).
The NEPRA on Saturday has approved to increase the price of electricity on the request of Central Power Purchasing Agency (CPPA) on which public hearing was held on February 1, 2022. According to the notification, the increase in electricity tariff will be applicable only to the bill for the month of February.
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Marble factories owners protest increase in power tariff
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Similarly, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government has decided to further increase electricity tariff for consumers by Rs80 paisa with the aim to reduce circular debts which was one of the demands of the International Monitory Fund (IMF). The circular debt in the energy sector has exceeded Rs2476 billion and according to the Cabinet Committee on Energy, Rs292 billion will be obtained from consumers by increasing the electricity prices of Rs80 paisa. However, the experts believe that it will be impossible to tackle the issue of circular debt by increasing power tariff.
The Awami National Party (ANP) and Jamaat-e-Islami have submitted an adjournment motion in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly against the ‘drastic’ increase in electricity bills due to Fuel Price Adjustment (FPA). The KP assembly has already passed unanimous resolution against the electricity hike, saying that the province is producing cheap electricity from its hydel resources.
Meanwhile, the Marble factories owners have been on strike in Mardan, Buner and other districts against the fuel price adjustment in the electricity bills. However, marble unit in Peshawar have opposed the strike, saying that they should move to the court against the government.
“We have no other option but to shut down the units as we are unable to pay hefty bills,” the Marble association said in a statement. They said that they have paid Rs.600, 000 to Rs1 million extra bills during the last few months.
The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz Vice President Maryam Nawaz has strongly criticised the ruling party over the rise in power tariff.
Reacting to the recent rise in electricity prices, Maryam Nawaz in her tweet on social networking site Twitter said that this is the only government in which the people have been forced to carry out load shedding against themselves. In her twitter post, she said that the electricity now out of reach of common men.
Maryam Nawaz said, “after snatching bread and other necessities of life from the people, the government has also snatched electricity from common men.”
