PM orders revision of electricity bills within 24 hrs adjusting FAC relief

Staff Reporter
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday directed the power distribution companies to revise the electricity bills of up to 200 units within 24 hours adjusting the relief under the fuel adjustment charge (FAC) announced by the government.
The prime minister, who chaired a high level meeting to address the issues faced by the power consumers, also constituted a committee on the subject’.
He instructed that the staffers of the distribution companies should work round the clock to ensure the revision of electricity bills.
He asked the authorities concerned to cancel the leaves of all the staffers and present him a compliance report immediately. The prime minister said that the banks should also be directed to remain open in the coming days to enable the consumers pay their revised electricity bills.
The meeting was told that the implementation of the relief package announced by the prime minister was being ensured. The electricity bills of around 16.6 million were being corrected to provide them the relief under fuel price adjustment.
The prime minister instructed the authorities concerned to ensure the execution of the relief measures announced by the government.
A hike in electricity tariffs has triggered protests in various parts of the provincial metropolis. Electricity consumers have refused to pay heavy taxes imposed on electricity bills and demanded of the government to immediately withdraw them.
Angry power consumers staged protest demonstrations in Baghbanpura, China Scheme, Green Town, Misri Shah, Shadbagh, Shahdara and other lower-income neighbourhoods of the city. They shouted slogans against the government and power utility company and announced not to pay taxes included in their electricity bill.
A resident of Shadbagh, Tahir Hanif, pointed out that over a dozen different types of taxes have been imposed on electricity bills, besides fuel adjustment, TV license fee and other surcharges. “In the current month’s electricity bills even the amount of taxes is higher than the actual cost of the electricity,” he highlighted and disclosed that the Lahore Electricity Supply Company (LESCO) has sent him a bill of Rs19,548 for August.