Relief-expecting masses may get another shock

ISLAMABAD: While the masses are up in arms after being unable to pay their inflated electricity bills, the caretaker government is all set to further increase petroleum products prices from September 1.

It is likely that the price of petrol will go up by Rs12 per litre, while diesel will see a rise of Rs14.83 per litre from September 1, 2023.

Officials suggest that the government had no instrument available to provide any permanent relief in electricity prices to the people, except providing instalments for a couple of months or staggering recoveries of current two-month bills to winter months, when normal consumption drops by almost half.

Both these options are revenue neutral, although they could create cash flow problems for power companies for a few months.

In fact, the government had already requested the power regulator to stagger charging another Rs5.40 per unit quarterly tariff adjustment over six winter months starting October instead of permissible in three months.