LAHORE – Lahore Electric Supply Company has ceased instalment payments for current electricity bills.
sources have told that the new computer software has not allowed the option to pay the electricity bills in installments. Lahore electricity customers could only avail the instalment facility for delayed payments once every six months.
The bank will accept only the computerized instalment bill to receive the payments. Sources claim that this decision was made to ensure 100% recovery of monthly bills.
ELECTRICITY BILLS: GOVT ROLLS BACK FIXED TAX ON TRADERS
Before the new decision, electricity consumers were able to get instalment facilities on their current bills for the entire year. Sources claim that LESCO made the decision to privatize the company.
Earlier in the day Finance Minister Miftah acknowledged that imposing fixed GST to traders via electricity bills was an ‘error’.
Miftah stated that while the government only requested Rs36,000 per year from traders at the Pakistan Stock Exchange, Karachi (PSX), Miftah admitted that he had made a mistake and that the decision was made in haste.
Miftah said that they should have done more research before imposing GST on the bills and added that his team gave him wrong advice.
PAKISTAN’S Electricity SHORTFALL JUMPS TO 7,641MW
According to the finance minister, the government planned to collect Rs 42 billion in tax. However, after the exclusion of small traders from GST collection, the government estimates that it will collect Rs 34 to 35billion.
You may recall that the federal government withdrew its decision to collect general sales tax (GST), on electricity bills, following pressure from traders across the country.
After successful negotiations between government officials and traders, the development was achieved. Talks with the business community were held by Miftah Dastgir Khan, Federal Minister for Finance & Revenue and PML-N Leader Miftah Ichmail, and Khurram Dastgir Khan, Federal Minister for Power.
