Demonstrations against heavy electricity bills are ongoing across the country: Photo: File
Islamabad: Caretaker Prime Minister Anwar Haq Kakar has called an emergency meeting on the issue of electricity bills today.
Caretaker Prime Minister Anwarul Haq Kakar said in a statement on social media that an emergency meeting has been called at the Prime Minister’s House on the issue of heavy electricity bills.
The Prime Minister further said that a briefing will be taken from the Ministry of Electricity and distribution companies in the meeting. Consultations will be conducted to provide maximum relief to consumers regarding electricity bills.
People are facing difficult situation due to increase in electricity prices, Information Minister
On the other hand, the caretaker Federal Minister for Information Murtaza Solangi gave a media briefing regarding the electricity bills in which Federal Secretary Power Division also participated.
The information minister said that the people are facing a difficult situation due to the increase in electricity prices. .
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In the briefing, the Federal Secretary for Energy said that the electricity tariff for the consumer is determined in three ways and it is determined by Nepra, quarterly tariff adjustment is determined for new power plants, electricity under the Consumer Price Index. Prices fluctuate.
He said that the increase in KIBOR also leads to changes in the tariff, due to fuel price adjustment, there is also a difference in electricity prices, if a consumer consumes 300 units in May and the difference is found in the July bill. In the financial year 2023, we notified the rates according to the rate of 195 rupees to the dollar, while the price of the dollar went up to 284 rupees.
He said that we planned to fix the price of RLNG at 3183 MMBTU while the price of RLNG was between 3000 and 3800, similarly the price of imported coal was also between 51000 and 61000. 1000 rupees per meter, next year we have to pay 2 trillion rupees only in capacity payments, the biggest difference in the increase in electricity prices was applied to those consuming more than 400 units of electricity.
The federal secretary said that there was no increase in the tariff for 63.5 percent of domestic consumers, for 31.6 percent of domestic consumers, electricity prices increased by Rs.3 to Rs.6.5 per unit, only for 4.9 percent of domestic consumers, the tariff increased by Rs.7.5. Per unit increase, the average tariff for domestic consumers increased by Rs 3.82 while for consumers in other categories it increased by Rs 7.5 per unit.
He said that the maximum electricity tariff in July 2022 was Rs 31.02 per unit, in August 2023 the price of electricity is Rs 33.89 per unit. Also, no concession is being given in electricity bills in any department, at present this concession is being given to the employees of the discos, not that the entire burden is being put on the electricity bill payers.
Protests are being held across the country against the unprecedented increase in electricity bills. Incidents of violence against the staff of electricity supply companies have also come to light in different cities.
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People including traders are demanding reduction in electricity rates from the government. The traders have also announced a shutdown against the heavy electricity bills and taxes.
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