Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) has condemned the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) for offering limited relief to Karachi’s consumers regarding electricity tariffs.
In a statement, KCCI President Muhammad Jawed Bilwani expressed disappointment over the meager reduction of Rs1.23 per unit in the fuel price adjustment for November, a far cry from the Rs4.98 per unit reduction K-Electric had initially requested.
Bilwani criticized NEPRA and K-Electric for failing to deliver the promised benefits, with a potential Rs5.444 billion in relief withheld from consumers.
He pointed out that despite a calculated reduction of Rs5.0029 per unit, only a small fraction was implemented, leaving Karachi’s consumers to bear the brunt of the burden.
The KCCI President called out NEPRA for not fulfilling its mandate to protect consumer rights, while also accusing K-Electric of being indifferent to the hardships faced by Karachi residents.
Bilwani also supported NEPRA Member Mathar Niaz Rana’s dissenting opinion, which argued that Karachi’s consumers should have received the full benefit of the adjustment.
Furthermore, he questioned NEPRA’s decision to withhold an additional Rs8.7 billion, describing the move as “really strange.”
