Islamabad, Pakistan – Web Desk: The National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) has held a hearing on a proposed 43 paisa per unit increase in electricity tariffs for the second quarter of the current fiscal year. The hearing was presided over by NEPRA Chairman Wasim Mukhtar.
If approved, the tariff hike will impose an additional financial burden of over Rs 10 billion on consumers. The Central Power Purchasing Agency (CPPA) submits tariff adjustment requests every three months to cover capacity payments, and the increase will also apply to K-Electric customers. Initially, the total projected burden was Rs 17 billion, but the government’s incremental package reduced it by Rs 7 billion, leaving a net impact of Rs 10.76 billion on consumers.
During the hearing, stakeholders criticized the government’s package, noting that some industries benefit while others face losses. For instance, industries running on furnace oil reportedly pay as low as Rs 22 per unit. Consumers urged NEPRA to review CPPA’s data for accuracy. CPPA officials explained that Rs 431 billion is required for capacity payments for the current quarter, compared to Rs 459 billion last year. They also noted that furnace oil-based power plants will not be operated in the future.
NEPRA has completed the hearing on the quarterly adjustment request and will issue a decision after reviewing the submitted data.
