Business

No increase in electricity tariff

Express April 16, 2010

LAHORE: The government of Pakistan, World Bank and Asian Development Bank have scrapped the proposal of increasing the electricity tariff by six per cent.

A foreign ministry official told Express 24-7 that World Bank and ADB have agreed to remove the condition of increasing electricity prices in the country.

Earlier the Government of Pakistan was asked to increase the electricity tariff by 6 per cent from 1st of April. Sources say the increase in electricity tariff was never proposed by the IMF.

Sources say the IMF was only monitoring compliance of the condition and would not have an issue if the World Bank and ADB agree to let go.

World Bank has however stressed on the importance of implementation of a workable energy plan for the economy.

COMMENTS (1)

Syed A. Mateen | 14 years ago | Reply The main reason for stealing electricity is the high tariff which poor people cannot afford to pay. While the income is limited and people have no other options to increase their income due to long working hours in private jobs, people are forced to steal the electricity. While increasing the electricity tariff, power generating companies must also tell to their consumers how to raise their income? IMF has nothing to do to suggest to our government as what should be the electricity tariff in Pakistan. If IMF is so concerned about the electricity tariff, then it must pay for those consumers who have no AC’s and most of the time they put their lights off, not to save energy but to curtail the exorbitant amount of electricity bills. The time is not very far when people will get their electricity connections disconnected and will start begging for electricity, similarly to alms.

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