THE Power Division has formally asked the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) to abolish application fees and remove licensing requirements for solar consumers generating up to 25 kilowatts, in a move aimed at accelerating rooftop solar adoption and cutting red tape for households. The request follows directions from Federal Minister for Power Sardar Awais Ahmed Khan Leghari, who pushed for a roll-back of recent regulatory changes that centralized approvals with NEPRA and imposed fees even on small-scale systems.
The unjustified and uncalled-for move of the NEPRA sparked strong resentment among power consumers across the country and realizing the gravity of the situation the Government has approached the regulator to withdraw the licensing and fee requirements in the case of consumers generating up to 25 kilowatts. The reversal will surely promote rooftop solar power by domestic consumers in the face of repressive tariff, which is highest in the region. However, there are several other issues that need to be addressed by the government on a priority basis as these are strongly being agitated by the people of Pakistan with implications for popularity and electoral prospects of the PML(N). These include, among others, purchase of power from solar consumers at negligible rates and charging them exorbitantly for grid power, exploitative slab system, so-called fixed charges, a multitude of taxes and the menace of capacity charges, which has become one of the major factors behind ever-increasing tariff. It is regrettable that the small relief that the government gave to consumers by reducing electricity tariff was effectively taken back by imposition of fixed charges. What fixed charges are when meters are bought by consumers and they pay electricity price, fuel adjustment and quarterly adjustment charges as well?
