No increase in power tariff for consumers

ISLAMABAD: In line with the directions of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, the government has decided not to burden the electricity consumers with new tariff for the year 2013-14 as determined by NEPRA and maintains it at the level of current tariff.

The average national tariff for the year 2013-14 as determined by National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) is Rs 13.81 per unit while the current average national tariff is Rs 11.52 per unit.

It may be recalled that recently the government has notified 29 paisa unit equalization surcharge which has been decided to offset with a reduction of 30 paisa unit due to fuel price adjustment resulting in zero impact on the consumers, said a press release of Media Wing of the Prime Minister’s Office on Tuesday.

It has also been decided to continue subsidy for the domestic and agricultural consumers to lessen the burden of expensive energy mix in the power generation.

The decision has been taken by the Prime Minister to provide relief to the consumers specially the domestic consumers.

The power generation in the country is predominately run on expensive fuel which results in higher generation cost and higher tariff to be paid by the end consumers.

The government is making all out efforts to absorb the impact of the higher tariff and pass on minimum impact to the end consumers.

The power generation mechanism has also been lined up to ensure running of least expensive plants first and more later to ensure that minimum fuel charges are passed on to the consumers, it said.

New projects with an expected capacity of about 10400 MW are being pursued based on cheaper sources of fuel like coal and hydropower which will result in reduction in cost of generation in the coming years. (APP)