ISLAMABAD: In a major relief for electricity consumers, the Pakistan government has decided not to raise the average base electricity tariff, officials confirmed during a hearing at the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA).
The decision was announced by the Additional Secretary Power while presenting the government’s position during a review petition hearing. Officials informed NEPRA that the government has adjusted subsidies to manage costs and therefore does not intend to increase electricity prices at this stage. They added that changes in the national energy mix since July have helped stabilize the tariff structure.
During the briefing, the Power Division clarified that consumers across all categories are currently benefiting from subsidies amounting to Rs62.9 billion. As a result, no immediate revision in the base power tariff is under consideration.
Earlier, the Power Division had submitted a review petition challenging NEPRA’s determination regarding an increase in the base electricity tariff. It has also requested the regulator to apply a uniform electricity tariff across all government-owned distribution companies as well as K-Electric to ensure pricing consistency nationwide.
Separately, NEPRA has concluded an inquiry into the nationwide power outage that occurred on January 8, 2021. The regulator held the National Grid Company and the Central Power Purchasing Agency (CPPA) responsible for the failure, stating that Pakistan remained without electricity for nearly 20 hours due to delayed restoration efforts.
The findings highlighted serious shortcomings in grid management and coordination, emphasizing the need for systemic reforms to prevent similar blackouts in the future.
