Shehbaz Sharif forms committee to address complaints of power consumers

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has constituted a high-level committee to address complaints of power consumers, ARY News reported on Thursday.

Chairing a meeting to address issues being faced by power consumers, the prime minister directed the power distribution companies to revise the electricity bills of up to 200 units within 24 hours adjusting the relief under the fuel adjustment charge (FAC) announced by the government.

PM Shehbaz Sharif instructed that the staffers of the distribution companies should work round the clock to ensure the revision of electricity bills. He asked the authorities concerned to cancel the leaves of all the staffers and present him a compliance report immediately.

The premier further said that the banks should also be directed to remain open in the coming days to enable the consumers pay their revised electricity bills.

The meeting was told that the implementation of the relief package announced by the prime minister was being ensured. The electricity bills of around 16.6 million were being corrected to provide them the relief under fuel price adjustment.

The prime minister instructed the authorities concerned to ensure the execution of the relief measures announced by the government.

It may be noted that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday announced that 17 million of the total power consumers will be exempted from paying the high fuel charges adjustment (FCA) in their electricity bills.

In a video address from Qatar, where he is on a two-day trip, the prime minister explained the mechanics behind why FCA was levied and said it had seen a “considerable increase” for July and August’s power bills, because of high international oil prices, which was “intolerable” for the common man.