Burdening electricity consumers with Rs40 billion criticised

Islamabad, May 29, 2016 (PPI-OT): Islamabad Chamber of Small Traders on Sunday criticised NEPRA for burdening electricity consumers with additional burden of Rs40 billion days before the budget. Masses and business community are already buying costly electricity which has compromised their abilities therefore additional burden is highly unjustified and unacceptable, said Patron Islamabad Chamber of Small Traders Shahid Rasheed Butt.

In a statement issued here today, he said that government should not target honest consumers but the power thieves to control losses. Shahid Rasheed Butt said that NEPRA has allowed hike of Rs1.24 per unit in the tariff for the next year having an impact of Rs40 billion while Rs70 billion would be taken away from masses in four years to pay hydel profit to the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Earlier WAPDA took loan of Rs25 billion on 7.5 percent interest to pay net hydel profit to KPK province and tried to put burden of debt servicing on masses but failed to do so. However, sooner or later, WAPDA will find a way to milk masses, he said adding that continued upward revision in electricity tariff will hit masses, industry and agriculture.

Government should plug annual losses of Rs360 billion and stop punishing honest consumers, he said. Butt said that government is spending billions of dollars on new power projects and it should keep prices within limits otherwise there would be surplus electricity in country but no buyer.

For more information, contact:
Jahangir Akhtar
Secretary General
Islamabad Chamber of Small Traders and Small Industry
Office No, 9 Block E, Super Market, Islamabad
Cell: 0344-5111174