KARACHI, April 20: Trade and industry has taken strong exception to KESC’s unilateral decision of increasing fuel-adjustment surcharge as is evident from the power bills issued between January and March.

In a statement, chairman, Towel Manufacturers’ Association of Pakistan (TMA), M. Muzzammil Husain, said the bills issued during the last three months show unilateral increase in fuel adjustment surcharge rates from January 2007.

He said that the KESC had abruptly increased the surcharge without taking stakeholders into confidence.

This unilateral decision has aggravated the problems of export industry which was already confronting a number of problems owing to high input costs.

Recently, he said, Ogra decreased gas prices to the extent of 10 per cent which was in line with falling oil prices in the world market, but the KESC somehow took courage to increase surcharge without even consulting the government-constituted body, Nepra.

The TMA chief requested the prime minister and the commerce and textile minister to intervene and direct the power utility to withdraw the enhanced charges so that exports could be saved from a total collapse.