PTI Punjab President Ejaz Chaudhary said PML-N has ruined the lives of the poor masses with its anti-poor policies during last two years. Again in the upcoming budget insensitive Sharif Brothers have decided to raise power tariff by Rs 2 per unit in the new fiscal year he added.
He said the Muk Muka group has already decided to loot the public with controversial Gas Infrastructure Development Cess (GIDC) and now this Rs 2 per unit increase will add more burdens on the poor masses. PML-N government has totally failed to provide cheap electricity despite all time low oil prices. To add to the misery now they are fleecing the public with GIDC and higher power tariff he added.
They are putting burden on the poor but their rental power plants cronies are happy with Nawaz regime as the are getting lucrative incentives. The rental power plants are getting their due shares and they don not bother to produce electricity as per the agreements he added.
Secretary General Yasmin Rashid said that this increase is not justified as more than 40 percent of electricity is produced from furnace oil and oil prices have been dropped by 60 percent. She said she does not understand what kind of Economics our Finance Minister Ishaq Dar is trying to implement. He should know that tariff increase on utilities add to inflation and that has a gross negative effect on GDP she added.
She said PML-N government should create new avenues for revenue generation rather than burdening already heavily taxed poor masses.
She said circular debt's vicious circle has destroyed Pakistan???s entire economy and this never-ending phenomenon would keep hurting the poor.
Information Secretary Andleeb Abbas said it is the responsibility of the government to ensure availability of basic necessities at economical prices. But here the ruling elite has no understanding of the sufferings of the poor people for whom it is difficult to meet the both ends. She said the proposed increase is truly shameful as poor would suffer more by paying high electricity bills.
She said PML-N government keep increasing electricity bill to keep IMF happy so that they take more and more loan on the expense of poor nation. Why does the government not tighten its belt than increasing financial burden on the beleaguered consumers she added? She said people are sick of Sharif Brothers styled democracy who have given nothing but corruption.
Media Cell
PTI Punjab