NEPRA jacks up power prices for Karachi again

ISLAMABAD: The National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (Nepra) on Monday approved another increase in electricity for K-Electric customers by Rs9.66 per unit.
The increase in electricity prices has been made in the context of May’s monthly fuel adjustment. According to K-Electric officials, the company has a financial burden of Rs380 billion.
NEPRA is expected to issue a detailed decision after reviewing the data.
Commenting on the matter, chairman NEPRA said that if the company was experiencing difficulties in providing cheap electricity then it may seek the electricity regulatory authority’s help. “We are ready to talk to the federal and provincial governments for cheap electricity,” he added.
It may be noted that on June 25, NEPRA approved an increase of Rs5.27 per unit in the electricity tariff of K-Electric on account of the fuel cost adjustment for April 2022.
Meanwhile, Jamaat-e-Islami Karachi President Hafiz Naeem-ur-Rehman, in his closing address at the sit-in held yesterday (July 3) at the K-Electric head office, had announced a three-day deadline for the power utility’s administration to end load-shedding.
Last week, the exasperated people of Karachi had taken to the streets in protest against prolonged power outages in stiffening hot and humid weather.
Protesters in various areas of the country’s commercial hub had hurled rocks at the police and the cops retaliated with tear gas and baton charge. They had also arrested several protesters after talks between the two sides failed.
A 60-year-old woman had reportedly died in Karachi’s Mauripur area on June 28, following police action at a protest against hours-long load-shedding in the city.
Furthermore, on June 29, as the “city of lights” endured both announced and unannounced electricity load-shedding for several hours, making the life of the citizens a living hell with mercury levels reaching historic highs, Karachiites had breathed a sigh of relief as the Sindh government had announced a reduction in power outages “within 24 hours”.
This had been announced by Sindh Minister for Energy Imtiaz Sheikh and provincial minister Saeed Ghani during a press conference fowling their meeting with K-Electric (KE) officials in Karachi.