No Apr FCA for Karachiites: Trade bodies demand Nepra reject PD plea
ISLAMABAD: In protest against the Power Division's intervention to block the application of negative Fuel Cost Adjustment (FCA) for April 2025 for Karachiites, several trade associations have written to the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (Nepra), demanding that any such request be rejected outright.
Letters of protest have been submitted by the Bin Qasim Association of Trade & Industry, the Pakistan Association of Large Steel Producers (PALSP), the Pakistan Tanners Association, and industrialist Rehan Jawed.
During a public hearing on June 23, 2025, regarding K-Electric's FCA for April 2025, the Power Division presented a letter to Nepra, requesting a deferral of the hearing on the grounds that the government is preparing to implement a uniform FCA across the country.
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The business community has raised a series of detailed legal and procedural objections, urging Nepra to consider them immediately.
The Associations argue that the Ministry of Energy, as part of the executive branch, has no lawful authority to interfere in NEPRA's quasi-judicial proceedings or to delay statutory processes. Citing Sections 3 and 7 of the NEPRA Act, they emphasized that Nepra is mandated to function independently and is not subject to executive directives once a determination has been made.
They maintain that the FCA is a formula-based, mechanical adjustment and that any interference is both unwarranted and illegal.
The business community points to Nepra's own determination dated May 27, 2025, in the K-Electric Multi-Year Tariff (MYT) case, which clearly stated:'To maintain consistency and avoid revisions to already determined FCAs, and to ensure no additional burden is placed on consumers, the Authority has decided to allow the reference FCC of Rs. 15.9947/kWh on a units-served basis for each month of FY 2023-24.'
They argue that this constitutes a binding precedent and cannot be overturned without following due legal process. The Ministry's unilateral request, they claim, has no legal merit and contradicts this established order.
The Associations further state that no cabinet approval has been granted for a revised uniform tariff structure. Therefore, unless and until such approval is formally issued and notified under the relevant legal framework, NEPRA's existing FCA mechanism—based on the approved reference fuel cost—must continue.
They also cited a Supreme Court judgment in Anoud Power Generation vs. WAPDA (PLD 2001 SC 340), which ruled that even if the cabinet later approves a tariff mechanism, it cannot be applied retrospectively unless specifically authorized by law.
According to the associations, the Power Division's letter is no more than a recommendation and lacks any statutory authority to override Nepra's determinations or delay implementation. They emphasized that FCA adjustments are governed strictly by Nepra's Standard Procedures and the Tariff Rules, and any delay violates the requirement for timely adjustments, which are also commitments under the IMF's Memorandum of Economic and Financial Policies (MEFP).
'The Power Division's argument about subsidy management is without merit,' stated the Bin Qasim Association of Trade & Industry. 'K-Electric has already underutilized the allocated subsidy in the 2024–25 federal budget due to better recovery rates and cheaper electricity imports from the NTDC. The fiscal impact argument, therefore, lacks substance, and consumers should not be penalized for executive-level fiscal concerns.'
The associations are calling on Nepra to hold an open hearing on the Power Division's letter and its proposed deferral, allowing all relevant stakeholders—especially industrial consumers in Karachi—to be heard. They argue that the principle of audi alteram partem (the right to a fair hearing) must be upheld.
'Until a new Cabinet-approved benchmark or uniform tariff is formally notified, the existing FCA reference cost of Rs. 15.9947/kWh remains legally binding. There is no justification for any executive override or temporary deferral—particularly when it would delay relief to consumers,' the associations stated.
They further expressed frustration over what they perceive as selective intervention by the Power Division. 'When consumers in Karachi were burdened with higher FCAs and demanded a uniform rate, the Ministry ignored our concerns. Now, when the FCA is lower for Karachi and offers relief, the Ministry is actively trying to block it. This double standard is unacceptable and deeply troubling,' they added.
The associations stressed that implementing a uniform FCA at this stage requires formal cabinet approval and a corresponding direction to NEPRA. In the absence of such legal backing, neither the Ministry of Energy nor the Central Power Purchasing Agency (CPPA) has the authority to interfere.
'We urge Nepra to reject the Ministry's request and proceed with the timely implementation of the negative FCA for K-Electric consumers in accordance with the law,' said PALSP. 'Any deviation would not only undermine the sanctity of the regulatory process but also violate consumer rights and established judicial precedent.'
They also called for a requirement that any future Ministry communications affecting tariff mechanisms be subject to public and stakeholder hearings before implementation.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
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