ISLAMABAD, July 23: The government will file a review petition before the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (Nepra) for reducing the increase in power tariff by 20 paisa per unit on average.

A source told Dawn that decision to this effect was taken at a meeting presided over by President Pervez Musharraf on Tuesday following a presentation by Nepra Member Abdul Rahim Khan.

The decision would provide 50 per cent reduction in tariff earlier announced by Nepra.

The source said that the Nepra member told the meeting that according to the authority’s calculations an average tariff increase of around 15 to 20 paisa was justified.

Nepra had approved an average 40 paisa per unit increase for “certain reasons” despite strong opposition from all consumer groups, planning commission and other interest groups.

The source said that almost all the participants at the meeting agreed that consumers, particularly domestic consumers, were not in a position to afford such a high tariff increase.

Cabinet Secretary Javed Masud in consultation with the water and power ministry would coordinate with all concerned to file the review petition.

Officially it was announced that “the government would be filing a review request with Nepra to minimize the burden on the domestic consumers.”

The four-hour meeting was attended by ministers of finance, privatization and petroleum, secretary general finance, secretaries of cabinet and water & power, vice-chairman and member tariff of Nepra and Water and Power Development Authority’s acting chairman and general manager finance.

A special notification was issued to appoint member power of Wapda, Ashraf Randhawa, as acting chairman to represent Wapda Chairman Zulfiqar Ali Khan, who could not attend the meeting.

Spokesman for power ministry Dr Abdul Hameed said issues were too complicated and he was not in a position to say something. None of the secretaries or Nepra and Wadpa officials were ready to say anything on record.