ISLAMABAD - Inflicting another merciless blow on the hapless power consumers, Ministry of Water and Power (MoW&P) has decided to further jack up the electricity price by 16 per cent and a notification to this effect is likely today (Wednesday), sources shared with TheNation on Tuesday.
Sources privy to the development in MoW&P said power consumers including Karachi Electric Supply Company (KESC) would bear this 16 per cent hike as the permission to boost prices had been obtained from President Asif Ali Zardari.
“This raise in power prices is height of injustice with the already inflation-hit masses who are brutally slaughtered by the beleaguered government every single day,” sources shared a highly disappointing and disturbing note to say the least. A notification pertaining to the power price hike is expected today. If the summary is sent to the Law Division for getting its nod, the issuance of notification regarding hike in price will take four days.
Sources said with this surge, the price of per unit of electricity would witness 71 paisa raise for those domestic consumers who were utilising only 100 units in a month. Similarly, domestic power consumers using 100 to 300 units in a month would bear additional Rs 1.07, and those using 301 units to 700 units will have to afford an increase of Rs 1.70 in per unit while Rs 2.12 raise in the price of per unit of electricity will be for those domestic consumers using more than 700 unit in a month in the country.
It is also learnt that with this increase in the price of per unit power, the commercial consumers will bear additional Rs 2.08 for every unit of electricity and similarly the industrial consumers will find Rs 1.96 expansive per unit of electricity. Further, with this raise in per unit of electricity, the agricultural consumers will have to face additional Rs 1.61 for using every unit of power in the country.
Sources disclosed that power consumers of all categories would bear additional 11 to 33 paisa per unit as Grand Sales Tax (GST). Moreover, with this 16 per cent hike in power prices, Rs 88 billion will be collected from the power consumers. However, power consumers using less than 50 units will enjoy exemption from this recent hike in prices.
It is worth mentioning that the cash-starved government in a bid to save the skin of power companies and government officials is going to raise the power prices for all consumers. Resultantly, the consumers will bear the brunt of ineffective and ill-conceived policies of the government.