Electricity tariff likely to go up in Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: Electricity tariff is likely to increase by 48 paisa per unit for one month under the monthly fuel price adjustment mechanism in Pakistan, ARY News reported on Wednesday.

The Central Power Purchasing Agency (CPPA) has submitted a petition to the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) seeking approval for the adjustment. NEPRA is scheduled to hear the petition tomorrow.

According to the CPPA, a total of 8.487 billion units of electricity were generated in December, out of which 8.208 billion units were supplied to distribution companies (DISCOs).

The average per-unit cost of electricity in December stood at Rs9.62. During the month, 18.07 per cent of electricity was generated from hydel sources.

Power generation from local coal accounted for 13.99 per cent, while imported coal contributed 10.13 per cent. Natural gas-based generation stood at 11.20 per cent, with imported LNG contributing 17.24 per cent.

Electricity generation from nuclear sources during December remained at 25.05 per cent, the CPPA added.

Earlier this month, the federal cabinet approved a decision of the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) to provide relief to consumers of electricity distribution companies regarding the Off-Grid (Captive Power Plant) Levy.

The decision was taken during a cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif at the Prime Minister’s House.

Addressing the meeting, the prime minister said the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) recorded encouraging growth in the first quarter (July–September) of the current fiscal year, adding that the government had steered the economy away from the brink of default towards stability.