IN one of the most glaring example of anti-consumer posture, the Economic Coordination Committee of the Cabinet (ECC), at the instance of the Energy Ministry, drastically changed the net metering policy, introducing regulations that slash benefits for new solar panel owners by 63% while forcing them to buy electricity from the national grid at rates over 550% higher than their sale price.
The most unfortunate aspect of the entire episode is that the exploitative move is being justified in the name of protecting interests of the grid consumers.
The extraordinarily lengthy justification that the ECC has offered to legitimize its decision is itself acknowledgement of the guilt to penalize roof-top consumers apparently to shield massive corruption in the power sector and continue to view the electricity bills through the traditional prism of easy money-minting source like the POL.
The non-transparent nature of the plan is also highlighted by the fact that the Power Division presented this critical policy change as an additional agenda item in the meeting of the ECC, depriving committee members of the opportunity to form an independent opinion.
What an irony that under the new policy, rooftop solar panel owners will be forced to sell electricity at Rs10 per unit but must buy power at the prevailing rate currently around Rs65 per unit without the facility of adjusting imported units with exported units, putting them in disadvantageous position for no fault of theirs.
The new tariff will not apply to existing consumers for the understandable reason that a unilateral downward revision would be a violation of contractual obligations involving legal battles that could also threaten the plan to penalize new solar consumers.
It is also the height of injustice that the Government itself is culpable of using dilly-dallying tactics as far as reduction of the repressive power tariff is concerned forcing people to opt for solar solutions but now a scheme has been devised to discourage people to look for alternatives to exploitation.
Solarization offered a way to individuals, entities and the Government itself to get rid of costly power generated through fossil fuel but instead of offering incentives, roadblocks are being created in the way of shifting towards newer and environment friendly technologies.
We hope the federal cabinet will review all aspects of the move and not endorse it in the interest of the general public.
