APTMA terms refund on account of FAC 'insufficient'

Rejecting the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority's (Nepra) decision of refunding a meager amount of Re 0.81, per unit, to the consumers of K-Electric on account of fuel price adjustment charges for January, 2015, Chairman of All-Pakistan Textile Mills Association (APTMA), Sindh-Balochistan Zone, Tariq Saud has urged the government to consider consumers of K-Electric at par with consumers of other power utilities of the country.
"It is surprising to note that consumers of rest of the country have been given a relief of Rs3.2426, per unit, as against the K-Electric consumers for whom it has been reduced by only Re 0.81, per unit, under the same head," he added.
Accusing the Nepra of depriving consumers of K-Electric of the benefit of reduction of oil prices in the international market, the APTMA chief said: "Due relief was not provided to the consumers of K-Electric as National Transmission Dispatch Company (NTDC) has increased, per unit cost, from Rs6.58 to Rs9.57 which was Rs2.99 per unit more expensive in January as compared to December 2014."
He said that as per information provided by K-Electric to Nepra during tariff determination process for January, 2015, their fuel cost was increased by Rs814.1 million on sale of 1.19 billion units, which meant that their per unit cost has increased by Re0.6841, per unit, as compared to the preceding month. Even if the information provided by K-Electric vis-à-vis increase in cost by Rs814.1m on sale of 1.19 billion units was assumed correct, the relief against fuel price adjustment for the month January 2015 should have been Rs2.56, per unit, instead of Rs0.81 per unit, he opined.
Tariq Saud urged the government that the NTDC's decision of increasing power tariff must be reversed and consumers of K-Electric be provided relief at par with the consumers of other parts of the country.
He also demanded of the government to finalise the agreement with K-Electric for supplying 650MW electricity at the earliest in the best interest of its consumers, besides the power utility's due share in gas supply be ensured for providing maximum benefit to the general public.