The business community and industrialists have rejected the power tariff hike up to Rs 7 per unit, announced in the new power policy, termed that the decision would be directly affected businesses, and trigger further inflation and unemployment in the country.
The business community said that the power tariff increase was reflecting an anti-masses policy of government Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, asked that it should be review the decision in best interest of business and industries. The Council of Common Interest had raised the power tariff from Rs 3 to 7 per unit for commercial and industrial consumers except poor domestic consumers during its meeting last meeting held in Islamabad, in which National Power Policy 2013, approved. The decision was totally unfair and injustice with business community, which is being facing numerous hardships in shape of terrorism and load shedding, said Dr Mohammad Yousuf Sarwar, President Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
He said that government had withdrawn subsidy on power sector and increased tariff from Rs 3 to Rs 7 per unit, is tantamount to anti-business move. He said that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is larger power producer on cheapest rates, and now it would purchase high prices from the centre, he regretted.
With the implementation of increase power tariff by August 01, he said it would be further proved detrimental for load shedding and war-affected business community and industries in the province. He urged the government to take steps for ending of stealing power and improve the recovery of power distribution companies instead of imposing such unjustified decision of businesses and industries.
He furthermore said that the industrial production and manufacturing sector would be hardly affected by the decision which might be generated massive unemployment in the province. Dr Yousuf Sarwar criticised that despite the tall claims of the government to not load shedding during the holy month of Ramazan, but the power consumers are being facing hours long load shedding, particularly Sehr, Iftar and Taraveeh timing.
The government should upgrade the existing power distribution system, instead of putting burdens of commercial and industrial power consumers, he asked. "The new power policy was totally unfair and unjustifiable. We had expected great from the government to give relief to business community, but it has completely disappointed us, by raising the power tariff for commercial consumers, and withdrawn the power subsidy, said Anjuman-e-Tajiran President Sharafat Ali Mubarak.
He said that people had given votes to PML-N and Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf for a change but for the time being there was no change in the system. "We still face load shedding, price hike, exploitation at the hands of outlaws," he said and added that it was duty of the government to take effective steps for wellbeing of the business community and general masses, in order to boost up the local economy and improve the law and order situation.
Mubarak said that the business activities had been declined at 60 to 70 per cent, due to persistent power crisis, while the government such policies would further push to businesses to standstill in the provincial capital. Why not government take effective steps against the power thefts, and improvement of recovery of power distribution companies, instead of making hardships for business community, he questioned.
"We are totally rejected the decision of the federal government to raise power tariff up to Rs 7 for commercial consumers, he said, asked the decision should be reviewed in better interest of business community. Otherwise, he said that the community would take to streets against any unjustified move of the government. Meanwhile, the KP government on Thursday rejected power tariff hike in by the federal government and termed it an injustice. The KP government's spokesman Shaukat Yousufzai said the issue of the power tariff increase was not discussed during the Council of Common Interest (CCI) meeting. So, linking it with a decision taken at CCI is wrong.
He, however, said that increase in electricity prices have not discussed even at the CCI meeting. He said that the federal government instead of increasing power generation raised its price, which he said an injustice with people of the country. The government's new power policy was approved during the CCI meeting held on Wednesday. Following the meeting, Minister for Water and Power Khawaja Asif announced that the government would raise the power tariff. The price hike will be applicable on commercial and industrial users from August 1 while for household users it will be applicable from October. The KP government's spokesman said that provincial would not accept any increase in power prices.
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