Speakers raise questions over new electricity charges system

Business Recorder reported that speakers at a seminar in Islamabad on Tuesday questioned the recently launched electricity charges structure and called for more clarity, predictability and equal treatment of consumers under the newly finalised Use of System Charges (UoSC) framework. The event, organised by the Sustainable Development Policy Institute and the Pakistan Renewable Energy Coalition, brought together power specialists, industry voices and regulatory experts to examine the implications of charges set by the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA). These charges underpin the Competitive Trading Bilateral Contract Market (CTBCM), a reform that would allow eligible consumers to buy electricity directly from competitive suppliers.

Former NTDC managing director Muhammad Ayub said network-related charges should rest on multi-year loss calibration studies, and urged the regulator to seek at least a 10-year review for new transmission lines. He also warned that separate provincial electricity regulators in Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab could complicate a nationally coordinated trading market. Other speakers said the process remained unfinished, with PREC's Ramsha Panwhar stating that the charges were not final yet.

A representative of the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry questioned repeated revisions to the proposed charge figures, while the Pakistan Solar Association said the cross-subsidy component lacked a clear methodology. Another speaker proposed a phased, roughly 10-year roadmap tied to measurable gains in distribution company performance, rather than incremental charge changes.