NEPRA approves Rs3.39 per unit additional surcharge for electricity

ISLAMABAD: The National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) on Monday allowed electricity distribution companies to charge their consumers an additional fuel cost of Rs3.39 per unit for four months, ARY News reported.

According to a notification issued by the power authority, the imposition of additional surcharge takes the total cost on each unit of electricity to Rs3.82.

The cost will be charged from March to June, while the consumers were already paying 43 paise per unit surcharge. The new prices will be applicable to consumers across the country including K-Electric.

The surcharge will be reduced to Rs1.43 in the next financial year.

Earlier in March, it was reported that Pakistan accepted another pre-condition of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for the revival of $7 billion Extended Fund Facility (EFF) as the government agreed to increase electricity rates for consumers of K-Electric (KE).

The federal government decided to apply uniform tariff for consumers of K-Electric (KE) as Pakistan eyeing to revive $7 billion Extended Fund Facility (EFF) stalled for months.

According to documents, the implementation of uniform tariff will increase electricity rates by an average of Rs3.21 per unit.

The residential consumers using over 100 will be charged Rs1.49 per unit and those consuming 700 units will pay Rs3.21 per unit. Meanwhile, the power tariff for temporary residential customers and industrialists will be increased by Rs4.45 per unit.

The federal government also raised the power tariff for agricultural consumers and withdrew the subsidy under the Kissan package to meet International Monetary Fund (IMF) terms.

The subsidy given to agricultural consumers of Rs 3.60 per unit under the Kissan Package has been withdrawn. Agricultural consumers now have to pay Rs 16.60 per unit for power tariffs.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) had asked Pakistan to implement demands before reaching a staff-level agreement for the revival $7 billion Extended Fund Facility (EFF) stalled for months.

Pakistan and International Monetary Fund (IMF) are expected to make progress on the revival of the loan programme as their virtual talks for staff-level agreement would be held on March 2.

However, sources told ARY News that the Fund has asked the incumbent government to implement demands before reaching a staff-level agreement. Pakistan was facing a ‘tense situation’ like 1998 to revive the stalled programme, they claimed.