Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: The government has put the burden of surcharge, electricity pilfering and subsidy on the shoulders of consumers.

The Power and Water Ministry said this at a meeting of Economic Coordination Committee.

Sources said that the ministry also said that the government got the subsidy from the power consumers by putting tariff operationalisation charge, adding that not a single penny was used from the budget in this connection. The committee was told that the losses of power sector were Rs 200 billion which were shifted to consumers during fiscal years 2014-15 and 2015-16. After the reduction of oil prices in the international markets, the government did not give relief to the people, but two additional surcharges – tariff operationalisation and financial cost – were added in the bills.

Rs 1,500 are charged on a Rs 5,000 bill, similarly the consumer who has the monthly bill of Rs 500 also has to pay the additional surcharge.

The figures released by the ministry showed that the line losses of all distribution companies were reduced and their recovery also got better during the last government. In 2013, the rate of recovery was 88 percent which has now reached 93 to 99 percent. In 2015-16, the power sector earned Rs 5.77 billion profit. The government had claimed to repay the circular debt of Rs 360 billion after coming to power, but the circular debt has once again swelled to Rs 600 billion.

A recent report by NEPRA said that the government is not giving subsidy on electricity and more load shedding is carried out in the poor localities. The government is getting benefits of the falling of oil price in international market but it is not giving relief to the people.