Pakistan Industrial and Traders Association Front (PIAF) on Tuesday severely criticised increase over rupee one per unit in electricity tariff and called for its withdrawal in the larger interest of economy.
The PIAF Chairman Malik Tahir Javed in a statement said that at a time when the entire country is facing an acute shortage of electricity the business community is unable to understand logic behind increase in power tariff. He suggested to the WAPDA authorities to focus on recovery of outstanding dues instead of burdening the consumers.
He said that circular debt has already reached alarming level but no attention is being paid to curtail it while the line losses under the head of power pilferage are also fast going out of proportion. He said if the increase in power tariff is not reversed, the cost of doing business would jump up to new heights. He said that the caretaker Prime Minister should at least stop NEPRA from making any further hike in electricity tariff. Javed said that it is very unfortunate the people who are sitting at the helm of affairs have no understanding of the ground realities.