ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has given written assurances to the Asian Development Bank that it will impose new surcharges on electricity consumers, including a circular debt reduction surcharge, in return for a $300-million loan, a development tantamount to punishing consumers for the government’s poor governance.
Finance Minister Ishaq Dar’s letter to ADB President Takehiko Nakao of May 9 revealed that the government has promised to slap electricity surcharges, if it remained unable to privatise power distribution companies. The delay in determination of new electricity tariff will also be compensated by imposing yet another surcharge, according to Dar’s letter.
