NA body Concerned over Hefty Electricity Bills
Islamabad: Meeting of the Standing Committee on Energy (Power Division) was held in Parliament House, Islamabad this Morning under the Chairmanship of Mr. Muhammad Idrees, MNA.
The Committee expressed grave concern over the hefty electricity billing and directed that M/o Energy (Power Division) & National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) may take effective measures to reduce the rates of electricity and also avoid to charge additional Taxes being charged in different heads to ease the financial burden on the consumers. The Committee decided to invite Chairman, NEPRA in the next meeting to have comprehensive briefing on the issue.Power Consumers to Face Rs 8.7b Burden in Electricity Bills
The Committee directed that M/o Energy (Power Division) may engage the services the Parliamentarians while making survey in their constituencies to stop the theft of electricity in order to avoid unnecessary load-shedding in their respective areas.
The Committee appreciated the efforts of M/o Energy (Power Division) for saving huge government ex-checker by revisiting the contracts of Independent Power Producers (IPPs). The Committee however, directed that M/o Energy (Power Division) may take stringent measures to bring its benefits to the electricity consumers.
Earlier, Minister for M/o Energy (Power Division) briefly apprised the Committee that the present government is fully committed to lessen the financial burden of electricity on its consumers and prices of electricity was being gradually decreased. He informed that 70% (appx) tube wells had been converted into solarization and rate of electricity of industry sector had been reduced. He assured the Committee that every good suggestion from the August Committee would be welcomed and incorporated in the policy making to facilitate the electricity consumers.
The meeting was attended by the MNA’s, Raja Qamar Ul Islam, Sheikh Aftab Ahmad, Syeda Nosheen Iftikhar, Rana Muhammad Hayat Khan, Mr. Muhammad Shaharyar Khan Mahar, Mr. Khurshid Ahmed Junejo, Mr. Nouman Islam Sheikh, Syed Abrar Ali Shah, Mr. Junaid Akbar, Malik Anwar Taj, Mr. Sher Ali Arbab, Syed Mustafa Kamal, (through video link) Dr. Tariq Fazal Chaudhary, Haji Imtiaz Ahmed Ch. & Mr. Ali Afzal Sahi and Movers Dr. Mahreen Razzaq Bhutto.
