LCCI former Senior Vice President and former Chairman Poultry Association, Abdul Basit has urged the Supreme Court of Pakistan to take suo motu action of over 30 percent unprecedented, unjustified and illogical increase in the electricity tariff that is going to hit the trade, industry and general public alike.
In a statement here Monday, former LCCI Senior Vice President said that it is very unfortunate that the government is going to punish the masses for its incompetence. He said that a country, that has over one lakh (0.1 million) megawatts hydropower potential, which could be made available at the rate of only rupees two per unit, is buying electricity from Rental Power Projects (RPPs) and Independent Power Producers (IPPs) at a very high price.
He said that over 50 percent increase in electricity tariff in the last three months is an eye opener for those who are sitting at the helm of affairs as no businesses stay competitive at such a high cost of electricity. He further said that there is no logic of increase in the electricity tariff at the time when the trade, industry and masses are facing a large number of crises.
These include electricity & gas shortage, huge burden of external & internal loans ($58.6 billion and Rs 5.6 trillion respectively), double-digit inflation and mark-up rates, low economic growth, bad law & order situation, political instability, corruption and water shortage etc.
Abdul Basit averred that Kalabagh Dam is the only solution of electricity & water shortage and repeated hikes in electricity tariff but present regime shelved the projects with a stroke of pen. He said that it has already proved that the Indian government is spending a staggering amount of Rs 15 billion on propaganda against Kalabagh Dam, the most feasible power generation project in the country. He said that the government should get rid of the mafias that are forcing it to keep on producing costly electricity.
He said that if the present regime is unable to initiate work on mega water reservoirs due to these mafias, then it should subsidise electricity to keep its rate at rupees two per unit as the options to produce cheaper electricity are there.
"Had a little attention given towards convincing the opponents of Kalabagh Dam, the electricity situation in the country today would have been quite satisfactory," he said. He added that the early closure of shopping malls and two weekly-off would result in further deceleration of economic activity in the country therefore the government should not tread on this path.
Abdul Basit demanded of the government to withdraw the recent bulk increase in the electricity prices and direct the concerned departments to control their line losses and power theft. He also demanded withdrawal of unjustified concession given to around 700 'VVIP' grid stations.
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