PESHAWAR: The National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) has approved Rs5.94 per unit increase in electricity tariff in term of Fuel Price Adjustment (FPA).
The approval was granted after the public hearing on the petition submitted by the Central Power Purchasing Agency (CPPA). The agency had sought Rs6.10 per unit in electricity tariff in terms of monthly fuel adjustment. Chairman NEPRA Tauseef Farooqi questioned why less LNG was used in January as compared to diesel and furnace oil. The officials reported that the country could not get LNG according to the requirements.
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After the hearing, NEPRA approved an increase of Rs5.94 per unit, which will result in an additional burden of Rs58 billion on power consumers. The increase will not apply to Lifeline and Karachi Electric officials. NEPRA said that the LNG shortage in January had an additional burden of Rs7.74 billion, on consumers. There will have been no increase in tariff, if solar and wind licensed plants were in operation.
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.