ISLAMABAD - Ministry of Water & Power has asked National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) to immediately issue a decision pertain to Rs3 to 12.93/unit gigantic increase in the power tariff of domestic and agri consumers of Karachi Electric Supply Company (KESC).
Official sources privy to the development told The Nation that necessary preparation regarding withdrawal of low price of per unit of power from the consumers of KESC has so far been made.
The power ministry has written a letter to the regulatory authority (NEPRA) and sought immediate decision over power tariff hike for the KESC. They also told that the government had to pay Rs7 billion worth heavy subsidy due to no increase in the power tariff of the power utility (KESC) from 1st October. And, to end the difference in the price of per unit of power, a hike of 40 to 176 percent in the tariff of domestic and agri consumers of the KESC was decided earlier in a bid to make the power price of KESC equal to the power tariff of remaining gas utilities of the country. However, tariff of power consumers using 200 units in a month would remain the same without any change to the current level of per unit price of power, they added.
“Finance Ministry has been paying additional subsidy to the consumers of KESC during last two months,” a senior official at the power ministry said, adding, “The power ministry would issue a notification after the decision of NEPRA regarding power tariff hike for the domestic and agri consumers of KESC.”
According to an earlier decision about heavy increase in the power price of KESC, the power tariff would go up by Rs11.68/unit for the power consumers use 201 to 300 units in a month, while Rs10.67/unit hike for the consumers use 301 to 700 units/month and Rs12.93/unit price increase for the power consumers use above 700 units in a month would be made. Similarly, power tariff of agriculture consumers would go up by Rs3.58/unit and the domestic power consumers would not get the benefits of slabs and difference in the price of slabs.
The sources also said that the NEPRA could not take a decision about the price of power of the KESC in October only because of change in the schedule one tariff of the power utility. And, that’s why the regulator could not take a decision in this very regard and the power hike for domestic and agri consumers was not made from 1st October 2013.