KE’s tariff increased by Rs3.21 per unit

The government on Tuesday approved a subsidy of Rs3.6 per unit for agriculture tube wells but increased tariff rate by Rs3.21 per unit for K-Electric’s (KE) residential consumers, in a move that shows hard choices between populist measures and meeting International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) requirements. The Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) of the cabinet that took these decisions also allowed imposition of regulatory duties on man-made fabric in addition to allocating Rs15 billion for the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) for conducting general elections. Finance Minister Ishaq Dar presided over the ECC meeting. In total, the ECC approved Rs139 billion in supplementary grants, including Rs93.4 billion for paying dues to the governmentowned power plants for reducing circular debt. The ECC discussed a summary submitted by the Ministry of National Food Security and Research on the Kissan Package 2022 and approved a base tariff for electric tube wells at Rs13 per unit, according to the finance ministry. The base price has been cut from Rs16.60 per unit to Rs13 per unit, a relief of Rs3.60 effective November 1, 2022 to compensate for the damage caused by floods and heavy rains, it added.