The Central Power Purchasing Agency (CPPA) on Friday filed an application with the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) and requested to hike the electricity tariff by 57 paisas per unit which will hold a public hearing on December 17. This increase is being demanded under the monthly-fuel adjustment – a repeatedly-used tool to further burden the consumers who are already facing the worst inflation rate in the country’s history amid the ever-increasing employment and zero increase in salaries or income. Last month, a total of 9.97 billion units of electricity were generated at a cost of Rs43.17 billion. And the most expensive share of this generation was diesel at a rate of Rs19.83 per unit followed by Rs12.17 for furnace oil. However, it doesn’t make any sense given the fact that the NEPRA already banned power generation through diesel and furnace oil. Meanwhile, the corresponding cost for the locally-produced gas and the imported LNG was Rs6.70 and Rs6.55, clearly showing the LNG was the cheapest fuel, which makes the government decision of not importing its required amount even more questionable.