Tough trade-off

The government has announced a Rs7.41 per unit reduction in electricity prices under seasonal tariff adjustments. However, this reduction comes at the cost of another long-promised relief. There will not be a cut in fuel prices, which are normally adjusted biweekly based on international markets. It must also be pointed out that the electricity tariff reduction

is not as large as many though it would be.

Some were under the impression that electricity prices would drop by Rs10 to Rs15 per unit. More than 50 million people rely on fuel daily, and they deserve separate and direct relief. Electricity and fuel prices should not be bundled together and relief should be provided in both sectors without trading one off for the other.

SM Arif

Karachi