LAHORE: The Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce & Industry’s (FPCCI) Businessmen Panel (BMP) has strongly criticized power distribution companies (Discos) for issuing highly inflated power bills to the trade and industry in the second quarter (April-June) of the current fiscal year 2024-25.
Mian Anjum Nisar, BMP Chairman and former FPCCI president, warned that the high energy costs would severely impact industries and trigger widespread inflation. He noted that the increase in base tariffs would not only make electricity bills unaffordable for consumers but also escalate the prices of all household goods.
Referring to a report by the Power Information Technology Company, Nisar pointed out that pro rata billing had been expanded beyond its original intent, which was to revise bills for periods exceeding 30 days. All power companies, including Karachi Electric, have started applying pro rata adjustments to bills for periods fewer than 30 days. This practice has led to a significant number of consumers being reclassified from “protected” to unprotected categories, lifeline to non-lifeline, and lower to higher tariff slabs, resulting in inflated bills.
Nisar emphasized that the constant increase in power tariffs under the pretext of fuel adjustment had raised electricity prices, adding to the already high cost of trade and industry. He called for comparable energy tariffs for domestic industries to compete in the global market, stating that the unaffordable electricity rates were driving power theft.
He urged the authorities to address these issues to prevent further economic strain on industries and consumers alike.
Story by Safdar Rasheed
