ECC to meet Friday to abolish Neelum-Jhelum surcharge from electricity bills
- By Web Desk -
- Feb 17, 2021
ISLAMABAD: The Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) would meet under the chair of Finance Minister Abdul Hafeez Shaikh on Friday to give an approval to abolish Neelum-Jhelum surcharge from electricity bills, ARY NEWS reported on Wednesday.
The ECC would mull over an eight-point agenda during the Friday’s meeting and would give the approval to abolish the 10-paisa per unit Neelam-Jhelum surcharge from power bills.
The surcharge was added in the electricity bills for the construction of the Neelum Jhelum Hydro Power Plant in 2008 and was still charged even after the construction of the hydropower project in 2018.
The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) and Parliament’s sub-committee on energy have already recommended abolishing the surcharge.
Besides this, the ECC meeting headed by Abdul Hafeez Shaikh would also approve a supplementary grant for the Special Communications Organization on the recommendation of the Ministry for IT and Telecom.
Read More: ECC approves agreements with 46 IPPs, supplementary grant to FBR
The matter relating to the payment of Pakistan Steel Mills (PSM) dues to a German company would also come under consideration during the meeting and is likely to be approved.
Moreover, the ECC would also mull over approval of communication support for the Ehsaas Programme and the formation of a committee to solve matters relating to excessive taxation in the telecom sector.