Kathmandu, May 7: Industrialists
and businesspersons have denied paying additional billing for electricity they
used a couple of years ago.
Nepal Electricity
Authority had sent the additional bills along with letters to at least 240
large and medium enterprises across the country demanding the due of the
electricity they used from the trunk line or dedicated feeder line in the last
couple of years. The electricity from the trunk line or dedicated feeder costs
about 70 per cent more than the regular price.
"But, according to
the Electricity Tariff Bylaws, 2016, the consumers of the electricity from the
trunk or dedicated feeder need not to pay the additional tariff just being
connected to the special supply line. Additional tariffs needed to be charged
if there is a load shedding of at least 6 hours and uninterrupted energy was
supplied to the industry for more than 20 hours," said Immediate Past
President of the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry
(FNCCI).
Three private sector
business associations – FNCCI, Confederation of Nepalese Industries (CNI) and
Nepal Chamber of Commerce (NCC) jointly organised a press meet to express their
grievances and plight to the media.
They said that as the
electricity sector regulator did not try to resolve the issue but continue to
threaten the entrepreneurs with 'letter bomb', they were forced to come to the
media as the last resort.
"Industries that
never asked for dedicated feeder are also being charged with additional tariff.
Bills are being sent to those who are not using the dedicated lines or even
applied for it. This is injustice," said Bhawani Rana, President of FNCCI.
Cement and steel
industries, star hotels and other large-scale industries are confronting
problems due to new provisions.
Businessmen said that
the total due amount could reach as high as Rs. 8 billion.
"It is enough to
kill a substantial number of industries," They said.
There is a fear that
the NEA can cut electricity supply if the due is not cleared within a week,
said Satish Kumar More, President of CNI.
Senior Vice-President
of the NCC Rajendra Malla said that NEA's intentions were wrong and stated that
such obstacles could discourage foreign as well as domestic investors.
Industrialists claimed
that they had no backlog of electricity bills. "We have been timely paying
the electricity bills and many of us are getting the discount facility for the
timely payment. So, the demand of additional payment now is illegal," read
a joint press statement issued by the three business associations.
Industrialists have
been paying the regular tariff of electricity but the new bills and letters
have been sent for the additional 67 per cent tariff charged for the electricity
from the trunk line or dedicated feeder.
The statement also said
that it was irrational to charge additional monthly tariff, demand fee and
energy fee when the country had been declared load shedding-free last year.
Meanwhile, court has
issued an interim order that the industries that were not supplied with the
electricity from the trunk line or dedicated feeder as per the government rules
should not be charged with the additional charges.
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