ISLAMABAD, Apr 7 (APP): Pakistan Peoples Party Parliamentarians (PPPP) members of the National Assembly on Friday criticised the Power Division for no electricity bills waiver announced by the Prime Minister for the flood affected districts’ rice mills in Sindh and Balochistan.
During the question hour session of 51st sitting of the National Assembly, MNA, Dr Mahreen Razzaq Bhutto in a supplementary question to her query on the alleged manifold increase in taxes on the bills of Rice mills of Sindh and Balochistan, said a delegation of rice mills owners from Kamber Shahdadkot met her and requested to help avail the waiver announced in electricity bills.
She termed the reply to her query as unsatisfactory and sought details from the Parliamentary Secretary on any intention of the Ministry to either waive off the hefty electricity bills sent to the rice mills owners of Sindh.
MNA, Khursheed Ahmed Junejo of PPPP on his supplementary question, said that the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) charged extra taxes in electricity bills of the rice mills of Larkana and Jhal Magsi divisions of Sindh under an SRO. The 2022 floods had completely damaged the rice crop and there was no income earned by the rice mills but the delegation claimed that heavy taxes were charged to them by NEPRA in the bills.
He added that they only demanded the waiving off in their electricity bills.
MNA, Aftab Shahban Merani of PPPP said that in Larkana district, Kamber Shahdadkot, Kashmor and other areas were producing rice with having maximum rice mills. He added that there was no rice crop in the entire division and the mills were shut but they were sent Rs100,000 bills per month.
Merani regretted that the Prime Minister had announced the electricity waiver for the rice mills but was not implemented on ground. He requested the Speaker to refer the matter to the relevant committee.
The Speaker consequently moved the question to the relevant committee.
Parliamentary Secretary for Power Division, Rana Iradat Sharif Khan apprised the House that the answer to the queries would be elaborated further in the next Rota Day proceedings. He added that the taxes on electricity bills were levied by the FBR and regulated through NEPRA whereas the House could pass its ruling to end the taxes.
Rana Iradat informed that Rs10 billion subsidy on tariff differential was already being disbursed to the industry in this regard.
He also underlined that the members had confused the quarterly adjustments made by NEPRA with taxes on electricity in their question.
