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KARACHI: Electricity consumers across the country are in for another shock as the Central Power Purchasing Agency (CPPA) and the K-Electric have approached the National Power Regulatory Authority (Nepra) seeking another hike of Rs11.39 in tariff under fuel adjustment charges.
According to the request, the sole power provider to Karachi consumers, has requested a massive increase of Rs11.39 for the month of June 2022.
According to the Nepra, the CPPA has requested an increase of Rs9.90 in the electricity tariff. The increase is on the account fuel charges adjustment for the month of June.
The Nepra will hear both the applications on July 28.
Finance Minister Miftah Ismail said on Wednesday that the IMF had asked the government to increase the electricity price by Rs7.91/unit.
The minister said that the government is trying not to burden the small consumers and the power tariff will not be increased for 60% of the consumers.
Earlier, the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) heard the federal government’s petition seeking Rs 7.91 per unit hike in basic power tariff.
The electric power regulator will decide on the matter after the hearing and forward its decision to the government for notification.
Defending the increasing electricity tariff, the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) Chairman Tauseef H. Farooqui on Wednesday said fuel cost has increased by eight times as compared to three years earlier.
In his statement, the NEPRA chairman said the cost of imported coal in 2018 was $50 per ton, which has reached $400 now. He further said the depreciation of the Pakistani rupee against the US dollar is another factor in increasing fuel tariffs in the country.
The cost of producing electricity has increased by 1600pc, Tauseef said and asked if not the consumers, then who will pay the price?
The NEPRA chairman said, all of their assumptions went wrong and the dollar has crossed Rs222 mark. NEPRA has no authority to control fuel prices at the international level and the greenback.
نیپرا کے چیرمین کا بڑا اعتراف، ہمیں درآمدی ایندھن سے بجلی نہیں بنانی چاہیے تھی۰ کیا مسلم لیگ ن قوم سے معافی مانگے گی ملک کو اس تباہی کے موڑ پے لانے کی؟ https://t.co/crkdPg0DCF
— Muzzammil Aslam (@MuzzammilAslam3) July 21, 2022
Muzzimmal Aslam, PTI spokesperson on economy and finance, asked whether PLM-N would apologize for installing power plants on imported fuel after NEPRA’s chairman admission that the country should not have opted power generation on imported fuel. The NEPRA’s chairman said everyone knows what blunders Pakistan made with respect to power generation strategy.
