Islamabad [Pakistan], September 5 : The Pakistan government has officially petitioned the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (Nepra) to authorise the transfer of three quarterly adjustments accrued during FY2022-23 to consumers of K-Electric, which will leave the extra burden of Pak currency Rs10/Unit on the K-electric consumers, The News International reported on Tuesday.
The Pakistan-based media outlet reported that the Ministry of Energy (Power Division) has applied to Nepra, seeking approval for the transfer of three quarterly tariff adjustments (QTAs) pertaining to the fiscal year 2022-23.
These adjustments encompass charges of up to Rs 4.45 per unit for the first quarter, Rs0.4689 per unit for the second quarter, and Rs5.41 per unit for the fourth quarter. Consequently, consumers of K-Electric will face a collective surge of Rs10.32 per unit in their electricity bills, payable in the months ahead.
As per The News International, the public hearing regarding the government’s petition is scheduled to be conducted by the power regulator on September 11.
The government has filed this application under the provisions of sections 7 and 31 of the Nepra Act, 1997, in conjunction with rule 17 of the Nepra Taridd (Standards and Procedure) Rules, 1998.
Concurrently, the request for the recovery of Rs4.45 per unit is attributed to the first quarterly adjustment spanning from July to September 2022. Additionally, a request has been made to enhance the quarterly adjustment for April- June 2023 (fourth quarter) by up to Rs5.40 per unit. These three distinct adjustment recoveries are anticipated to be implemented from September to December 2023, The News International reported.
This comes when the whole nation is witnessing protests against the inflated electricity bills and petroleum products inflation.
Pakistan also observed a shutterdown strike on Saturday against the inflated electricity bills and inflation.
More people are joining the nationwide protest every day against excessive electricity prices. Locals have been taking to the streets and even burning currency notes in protest, ARY News reported.
Protests against the exorbitant electricity prices have spread across the entire nation — from Karachi to Khyber — and some protests are now turning violent.
People in Karachi demonstrated against the excessive bills that K-Electric, the city's only electricity provider, gave out. They expressed displeasure that their bills exceeded their salaries, according to ARY News, a news channel that operates in Pakistan.
A large number of people demonstrated in Peshawar, with locals declaring that they will not remain silent in the face of this "injustice."Additionally, traders from Lahore Square and Ganj Bazaar set fire to power bills to vent their fury.
At Committee Chowk in Rawalpindi, protesters gathered and burned electricity bills, raising slogans against the government.
Protesters besieged the Gujranwala Electric Power Company office in an effort to draw attention to the inflated tariff issue.
Other cities such as Narowal, Attock, Sargodha, and Haripur, too, saw demonstrations against rising electricity costs.
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