ISLAMABAD, Dec 26 (NNI): On the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) demands, Pakistan jacked up electricity and gas tariffs in 2023, causing an additional burden of over Rs2,200 billion on the consumers.
As per details, the Pakistan government jacked up the electricity tariff by Rs10.73 per unit in 2023 and ended Kisan and Exports sector packages worth Rs65 billion to minimise the losses on the IMF’s demand.
Power consumers were slapped with a permanent surcharge of Rs3.23/ unit, monthly, and quarterly adjustments and other charges that ultimately put a burden of over Rs1,150 billion on the consumers in 2023. In 2023, the electricity tariff was increased 10 times under monthly fuel adjustments.
Meanwhile, the Pakistani government increased the gas tariff by a whopping 312% in 2023 on the International Monetary Fund’s demand to address the circular debt issue in the energy sector.
On January 1, 2023, gas tariff was increased by 112% and the second time the tariff was jacked up by 200% in November. The fixed charges for the protected consumers were jacked up by a whopping Rs400/month from Rs10.
On December 20, the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) notified a hike of Rs1.15 per unit in electricity tariff.
According to the notification issued by the power regulatory authority, NEPRA approved hike in electricity in the wake of the monthly fuel adjustment for the first quarter of the current financial year.
It added that electricity consumers would have to make additional payments during January to March 2024 bills. NNI
