No hike in tariff until outages end

ISLAMABAD (APP) - Advisor to Prime Minister on Finance, Shaukat Tarin, has said that the government would not increase electricity tariff until the loadshedding problems is resolved.
“It would not be logical to enhance electricity rates at a time when people are facing the loadshedding problems,” he said while talking to newsmen after inaugurating a conference “Privatisation with Public Private Partnership” here on Friday.
He said that Pakistan would be negotiating with International Monetary Fund (IMF) on the power tariff issue as it would create problems for the government as well as for people to enhance electricity charges. He added that if required, the government could even give subsidy from its own pocket to mitigate the problems of people.
Tarin said that Pakistan and IMF would be holding talks to discuss the budgetary measures of the government and the release of next tranche of loans to Pakistan. He further said that there had been 10 percent decrease in overall gas prices adding that the industry was provided 11.75 percent reduction where as the domestic consumers were provided about 2 percent reduction in prices.
The Advisor said that the government has removed the Petroleum Development Levy in the budget to make the prices transparent saying that fluctuation of oil prices in international market would have now direct impact on the domestic oil prices.