KP CM’s aide questions govt’s electricity tariff plan

PESHAWAR: Advisor to the Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa for Finance and Interprovincial Coordination Muzzammil Aslam on Saturday criticised the government’s recent electricity tariff relief package, calling it ineffective and flawed.

“The package, announced by Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif, is based solely on a Rs10 PDL (petroleum development levy), quarterly fuel adjustment, sales tax and negligible benefits from renegotiations with Independent Power Producers (IPPs),” he said in a statement.

The advisor on finance said that despite a profitable package, electricity consumption decreased during winter months, raising questions about its efficacy. Aslam also questioned the logic behind a negative quarterly tariff adjustment of Rs1.9/kWh and a similar amount of petroleum levy credit. He emphasized that the relief package only applies to the months of April to June and excludes lifeline consumers. Muzammil Aslam attributed the current issues to flawed policies, particularly those introduced by Nawaz Sharif in 2015, which have yet to be corrected. He expressed concerns about the government’s inability to effectively address the country’s economic challenges.