ISLAMABAD: The already burdened power consumers of the country are to face a hike in power tariff as the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) has approved a Rs0.5 per unit increase on account of monthly fuel price adjustments for the month of June 2018.
The approval of this rise in per unit price of electricity was made just one day before the general elections 2018 on the request of the Central Power Purchasing Agency (CPPA), seeking a Rs0.7/unit hike in power price. However, NEPRA only approved Rs0.5/unit raise. This increase in power tariff will further burden the power consumers who have been bearing the brunt of increasing power tariffs.
Sources in NEPRA said this hike would add a burden of Rs6.5 billion on all electricity consumers except K-Electric’s. They said the decision of the raise will not affect the power consumers of K-Electric as it will not be applicable to them and also on the agri-consumers of the country.
CPPA, in its plea, informed the Authority (NEPRA) that only 25.18 per cent power was generated with imported Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG), while hydel production remained at 28 per cent in the month of June.
Well-informed sources said electricity consumers are not only heavily taxed, but also deeply surcharged. Currently, they are paying taxes that include GST, sales tax, further tax and extra tax. Similarly, three kinds of surcharges are also being paid by the consumers. They said the fleecing of electricity started in 2013. The power consumers are also paying credit and its debt service.
It is relevant to mention that the consumers had been enjoying tariff cuts in the wake of low global crude oil prices. However, after an interval of several months, they are again set to face a hike in power price. Earlier, NEPRA increased power tariff by Rs1.25 per unit under the head fuel cost adjustment for May 2018.
