Islamabad: The National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (Nepra) on Tuesday said that the decision on increasing the security deposits of consumers by power companies is being postponed for the time being, until the audit of all electricity supplying companies in this regard is completed.
It should be noted that the power companies had requested to increase the security deposit rates of consumers by more than 200 percent, which was heard in Nepra on Tuesday.
During the hearing, Nepra members Rafiq Ahmed Sheikh, Muthar Niaz Rana, Amina Rashid and Maqsood Anwar Khan, representatives of electricity transmission companies led by Irfan Butt.
Expressed their dissatisfaction with their arguments and said that their case looks weak because they are repeating the same reasons they gave in the previous hearing and the increase in the deposit by the power companies seems to be an attempt to put the burden of the practical incompetence of the companies on the consumers.
Earlier, NEPRA had also directed K-Electric and Sukkur Electric Supply to submit similar applications regarding the increase in security deposit so that if a decision is made to increase it, it will be applied to everyone on the basis of a uniform tariff.
However, this proposal of NEPRA had received strong reactions from various political and business circles and chambers.
Tanveez Bari of Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) said that the proposal to increase the security deposit from Rs 2,000 to Rs 54,000 would be unbearable for consumers and as a result, businessmen and other consumers would look for alternative sources of energy.
Aamir Sheikh, representing the industrial sector, said that it would be unbearable for industries to deposit Rs 250 million to Rs 300 million as security deposit at a time when the economy is already in trouble. The NEPRA authority has reserved its decision on the application after the hearing is completed. The authority will issue a decision later after reviewing the data i.e. audit.
