Businessmen irked by inflated electricity bills

The Pakistan Business Forum (PBF) has expressed strong reservations over inflated bills being issued to industrial and business consumers by electricity supply companies.

PBF Lahore Chapter President Muhammad Ejaz Tanveer, in a statement issued on Thursday, alleged that the industrialists across the province were receiving bills even for those units they had not consumed.

“This inflated billing has stressed the business community and it has become really hard for them to continue operating with peace of mind.”

Electricity companies, he claimed, were issuing bills that do not tally with the units appearing on their meters.

High electricity bills coupled with the heavy burden of Fuel Adjustment Charges (FCA) and other taxes have raised input costs, making it unaffordable for consumers.

“Our industries are finding it very hard to pitch their products in price ranges that fit domestic consumers’ pockets. The increase in costs is also rendering our industry non-competitive in the international market,” he lamented.

Tanveer observed that Pakistan is in real need of foreign exchange to help stabilise its deteriorating economy and, in such a situation, industries, including export oriented and export-substituted, should be supported.

“These industries create job opportunities and keep the wheels of the economy moving,” he emphasised, adding that supporting their activities would help the government generate revenue and keep the business sector alive.

Urging the government to look into the matter, Tanveer appealed to the government to direct electricity supply companies to avoid over-charging and over-billing electricity consumers in the larger interest of the business sector, consumers and the government itself.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 16^th, 2022.

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