Ministry seeks inclusion of radio fee in electricity bills

ISLAMABAD: The information ministry has sought to include Rs15 radio fee in electricity bills.

The proposed radio fee will be in addition to the existing Rs35 TV fee that consumers already pay.

Sources said that the ministry has prepared a summary in this regard, which has been forwarded to the finance ministry for approval.

According to the sources, the finance ministry officials told a meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on Finance and Revenue chaired by Senator Saleem Mandviwala on Thursday about the proposed radio fee.

On July 10, the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) approved the hike in electricity prices.  The recent increase in electricity prices by Rs1.90 per unit was made on account of fuel charges adjustment (FCA) for the month of May.

The increase in power tariff comes after NEPRA proposed to raise the base tariff of electricity by Rs4.96 per unit, a move aimed at fulfilling a condition set by the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

Read more: Electricity prices jacked up

If approved by the federal cabinet, the national average base tariff will go up to almost Rs30 per unit, from the current Rs24.82 per unit.

However, after the application of GST and other taxes, the per unit cost will reach Rs50. The consumers are likely to face more burden due to the additional charges in their electricity bills.

The increase in the electricity will be reflected in the bills of July, August and September.