KARACHI, April 5: SITE Association of Industry chairman Haroon Farooki has criticized a 12-paisa raise in power tariff and termed the current increase as unjustifiable and uncalled for, especially when oil prices, including that of furnace oil, are declining in the market.

In a statement here on Saturday, he said instead of proposing any increase to the tariff, the Nepra should urge the government to off load heavy burden of taxes on electricity bills because it is neither good for the general public nor for domestic industry.

He maintained that general public, industrialists and poor farmers were already facing hardships due to irrational electricity rates that has not only put them into a vicious circle of dealing with electricity bills at the end of each month.—APP