Two percent tariff increase has irked domestic and commercial power consumers in the country, who termed it as last straw on the camel's back. The government has increased power tariff by 50 percent in last two and a half years and some 26 percent during last one year. The rise in power tariff is being made when consumers are deprived of uninterrupted supply since November 2007.
Talking to Business Recorder, the pedestrians on The Mall Road took this rise as stupidity of the government. They said latest tariff increase amidst 13.5 percent inflation rate is equivalent to crushing the poor. They said businesses were already declining due to inflationary pressure but the government was following the IMF and World Bank dictation blindly.
According to them, public temper was getting out of control and they would come on streets at any point of time. The industrialists, on the other hand, took it as last nail in the coffin. Some textile millers said tariff difference between the electricity and gas consumers was widening abnormally and present tariff increase would close down more units ahead.
Former Managing Director Pepco had advised Pepco-fed textile millers to prepare a report dilating upon the socio-economic impact of power increase on industry for appeasing the lenders. Otherwise, he commented, he has personally been in favour of special tariff for Pepco-fed textile units. A good number of textile units are already closed down due to unbearable power cost and more are on their way to collapse. However, a constant World Bank pressure on the government for withdrawal of electricity subsidies has made it a political suicide for the PPP government, which blames Musharraf government for leaving all tough decisions for it.
Comments
Comments are closed.