KARACHI: President of the Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI), Muhammad Jawed Bilwani, has voiced strong criticism against the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) following a decision that he claims denies Karachi's consumers much-needed relief in their electricity bills. Both NEPRA and K-Electric (KE), the city's main electricity provider, were blamed for failing to deliver the expected benefits.

According to a statement by Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Bilwani highlighted that NEPRA's recent announcement concerning the November fuel price adjustment resulted in a reduction of only Rs 1.23 per unit. This modest decrease falls notably short of the Rs 4.98 per unit reduction that KE had initially requested for the month.

Bilwani expressed concern over the disparity between the calculated tariff adjustment, which indicated a Rs 5.0029 per unit reduction, and the actual relief given to consumers. He stated that the adjustment left a substantial Rs. 5.444 billion benefit unpassed to consumers, marking it as a significant oversight.

The KCCI president condemned both NEPRA and KE for not fulfilling their promises to provide financial relief to Karachi's residents, who are already struggling with high living and business costs. He accused NEPRA of neglecting its responsibility to protect consumer rights and criticized KE for disregarding the hardships faced by the city's population.

Bilwani also pointed to a lack of transparency in the regulatory process, noting that NEPRA's failure to enforce the full reduction was troubling. He labeled KE's actions as an "economic betrayal" for not implementing the full Rs. 5.444 billion benefit, which could have eased the financial strain on Karachi's people.

The statement also referenced dissent within NEPRA, specifically from its Member Tariff, Mathar Niaz Rana, supported by Member Technical Rafiq Sheikh. They opposed the limited relief and argued that consumers should have received the full Rs 5.0029 per unit reduction, translating to a direct benefit of over Rs. 7.215 billion.

Bilwani urged NEPRA and KE to take corrective action and ensure full tariff adjustments are passed to consumers. He called for greater accountability from both entities to safeguard consumer rights, especially in the current economic climate.

In conclusion, Bilwani demanded transparency and fairness in future adjustments, emphasizing that both the business community and Karachi's citizens deserve better treatment.