ISLAMABAD: Industrial power users on Thursday voiced strong criticism over the latest hike in electricity tariffs, denouncing the unpredictable fuel cost adjustments (FCA) despite repeated government promises of sectoral reforms and lower power rates.
During a public hearing led by National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (Nepra) Chairman Waseem Mukhtar, stakeholders objected to the proposed Rs1.27 per unit FCA by distribution companies (Discos). Industrial representatives, particularly from Karachi and the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI), said the hike undermines the recent tariff relief of Rs7.41 per unit announced by the prime minister — effectively reducing the benefit to around Rs3 per unit for April, with further erosion expected in May.
Participants at the hearing condemned the lack of transparency, citing inaccessible and incomplete data provided by Nepra. They demanded full disclosure before any regulatory decision is made.
Further criticism was directed at the government’s partial implementation of IMF-linked reforms, especially the shift of captive industrial units from gas to the national power grid without ensuring affordable gas supply through a weighted average cost of gas (WACOG) mechanism. This, they argued, has made electricity unaffordable while simultaneously depriving industries, including the export sector, of gas.
Commentators also pointed to chronic inefficiencies, such as the ongoing unavailability of the Neelum-Jhelum hydropower project—causing a loss of 1.5 billion cheap power units in April—and underutilisation of key plants like the Guddu 747MW facility, attributing the situation to poor planning and mismanagement.
