President of the Korangi Association of Trade and Industry (KATI), Faraz-ur-Rehman, condemned the Ministry of Energy (Power Division)’s attempts to defer the negative Fuel Cost Adjustment (FCA) for K-Electric consumers for April 2025. While appreciating Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s initiative to reduce electricity prices for industrial consumers, Mr. Rehman termed the potential delay in FCA as illegal and disruptive to the Prime Minister’s reforms.

Mr. Rehman argued that the FCA calculation and implementation should adhere to the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA)’s guidelines. Halting FCA implementation solely for Karachi challenges NEPRA’s independence and sets a dangerous precedent for manipulating the authority. He highlighted that Karachi’s consumers have consistently paid inflated FCA rates in the past, and are now being prevented from benefiting from a negative adjustment, which is an injustice. This disparity undermines public trust in government reforms.

Mr. Rehman stated that unless the federal cabinet formally approves a uniform FCA mechanism and entrusts its implementation to NEPRA, any intervention lacks legal standing. Even with approval, its application would be prospective, not retrospective. He demanded transparency, fairness, and prompt action in regulatory decisions and called for NEPRA’s operational autonomy. Mr. Rehman urged the government to ensure equitable treatment of all utility consumers, including Karachi’s residents, and uphold the rule of law.