Further hike in power tariff: Traders staging protest demo outside Nepra office today

KARACHI: In response to a contentious proposal for yet another increase in the electricity prices, traders are staging a protest outside the Nepra office in the city's Bahadurabad area on Friday.

"Traders showed anger over a proposition to give further rise to power tariffs by Rs10.35 a unit," President All Pakistan Organization of Small Traders and Cottage Industry - Karachi chapter, Mehmood Hamid said.

He said that the government's move to seek approval from the Nepra for increasing the K-Electric tariffs for electricity is "shameful".

The higher power tariffs have already ravaged the nation's power to pay off bills, he said and warned that the country has already jolted by a fresh wave of suicides amid ever rising inflation.

"Against this move, we are going to stage a sit-in protest near Bahadurabad roundabout at Nepra office on Friday," he said and called the fresh hike in power rates to benefit K-Electric a "brazen" plan.

The higher power and fuel oil prices have created a discontent among the public and traders, divesting them of business growth and giving an unbearable inflation, he said.

The nation is continuously protesting against the soaring inflation with holding two shutter-down strikes as a protest against the government's economic policies, Mehmood Hamid said.

"Despite two strikes against power and fuel oil prices hike, the government made no response to the clamouring nation to address their problems," he criticized.

As per the pledge, the interim prime minister should announce reduction in petroleum and electricity prices immediately, he demanded.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2023